THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


THE 

FAMILY  DOCTOR: 

A  COUNSELLOR  IN   SICKNESS,  PAIN  AND  DISTRESS, 

FOR    CHILDHOOD,  MANHOOD    AND    O'-D    AGE 

Containing  in  plain  language,  free  from  Medical  terms. 

The    Causes,   Symptoms,   and  Cure  of 
Disease  in  every  Form, 

With  important  Rules  for  Preserving  the  Health,  and  directions  for 

the  Sick  Chamber,  and  the  proper  treatment  of  the  Sick ;  the 

whole  drawn  from  extensive  observation  and  practice, 

BY 

Prof.  HENRY  S.  TAYLOR,  M.D. 

©ill]  €ngra1)inp  at  '^^thiiml  |Iants  lui^  Jtrte. 

list    Edition.  —  Revised. 


"  All  men  ought  to  be  acquainted  with  the  medical  art.      A  knowl- 
edge of  medicine  is  the  sister  and  companion  of  wisdom." 

Hippocrates. 


PHILADELPHIA : 

John  E.  Potter,  617   Sansom  St. 

1 860. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1857,  by 

JOHN    E.    POTTER, 

Ib  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States,  In  and  for  the  Eastern 
District  of  Pennsylvania. 


PHILADELPHIA 
ST'^RFnTYPRD   BT   GEORdE   CHARLES, 
PKINTED   BY   KINO   Si   BAISD, 


'  >  NO.   607  8ANS0M  8TBBBT. 


Kamedicd 

m 


rx\^ 


CONTENTS 


INTRODUCTORY  WORDS. 

PAOB 

Regard  to  liealtli,  9 

Dieting, 11 

Hardening  the  constitution, 12 

Cheerfulness, 13 

Early  rising, 13 

Exercise, 16 

Drinks 18 

Bathing, 19 

Tobacco, 24 

SnufiF, 25 

Important  paragraphs 25 

Quaint  old  song, 28 

THE  SICK  ROOM. 

Yentilation  and  cleanliness, 29 

Temperature  and  light 30 

Cautions  against  infection, 31 

Proper  conduct  to  the  sick, 32 

Strong  feelings, 33 

Cookery  for  the  sick, 35 

Drinks 38 

Poultices, 39 

(3) 

'?06050 


4  CONTENTS. 

DISEASES  OF  CHILDREN. 

PAns 

Introductory  remarks  and  directions, 42 

Common  fits  or  convulsions, 50 

Whooping  congh, , 51 

Croup, 53 

Teething, 56 

Tlirush 58 

Cholera  infantum 59 

Colic 61 

Hiccough,  or  hiccup, 63 

Diarrhoea, 64 

Costiveuess,  or  constipation, 68 

Vomiting, 69 

Worms, 70 

Eicketts 73 

Scalled  head, 74 

Eingworm, 79 

Chilblains, 81 

Chapped  hands, 82 

Itch 83 

Eose  rash, 85 

The  gum, 86 

Nettle  rash, 88 

Chicken  pox, 89 

Measles, 89 

Small  pox, 92 

Vaccination  and  cow-pox, 94 

St.  Vitus'  dance, 97 

Watery  head,  or  dropsy  of  the  brain, 93 

Abscess  within  the  ear, 101 


CONTEXTS,  5 

DISEASES  OF  MEN   AND   "WOMEN. 

PAOR 

Colds  and  coughs, 104 

Influenza,  or  catarrh, 107 

Consumption, 108 

Asthma, 1  IS 

Dropsy, 118 

Gout, 121 

Eheumatism, 123 

Lumbago, 126 

Erysipelas,  or  St.  Anthony's  Fire, 127 

Cramp, 120 

Cholera  morbus, 130 

Malignant  cholera 132 

Diarrhoea 13G 

Dysentery, 130 

Diseases  of  the  bladder, 142 

Dyspepsia,  or  indigestion, 147 

Diseases  of  the  liver, 151 

Pleurisy, 157 

Inflammation  of  the  bowels, 1 59 

Fevers, KU 

Yellow  fever, 1  (54 

Typhus  fever, IGS 

Scarlet  fever,  or  scarlatina, 171 

Fever  and  ague, 173 

Bilious  fever, 177 

Diseases  of  the  throat, 173 

Mumps, 184 

Diseases  of  the  teeth 185 

Headache, 187 

Diseases  of  the  ear 189 


6  CONTENTS. 

TAom 
Diseases  of  Ibe  eye, 192 

Neuralgia, 195 

Apoplexy, 198 

Insanity, 201 

Hypocliondria, 206 

Hysterical  affections 209 

Paralysis,  or  palsy, 211 

Epilepsy, 216 

Eupture,  or  hernia, 217 

Palpitation  of  the  heart, 219 

Nightmare, 221 

Heartbnrn, 222 

Jaundice, 223 

Vomiting, 225 

Hemorrhage, 227 

Piles, 228 

Stitch,  or  pain  in  the  side, 230 

Mortification, 231 

Hydrophobia, 233 

Venereal  diseases, 235 

WOUNDS,  ACC1D)!,NTS,  AND  MINOR  DISEASES. 

General  treatment  of  wounds, 244 

Gun-shot  wounds, 246 

Fever-sore, 246 

White-swelling, 247 

Ulcers, 249 

Wens  and  fistulas, 250 

Whitlow,  or  felon, 251 

Warts 252 

Corns 25o 


CONTENTS.  7 

PAOB 

Scrofula,  or  king's  evil, 254 

Scurvy 257 

Scalds  and  burns, 258 

Sprains,   2G0 

Boils 2til 

Bruises, 262 

Broken  bones  and  dislocations 263 

Falls, 264 

Locked  jaw 265 

Recovery  of  the  drowned, 266 

Becovery  of  persons  struck  by  lightning, 268 

Choking, 268 

Inversion  of  a  toe-nail, 270 

Sun-stroke, 271 

Accidents  from  taking  poisons, 271 

Bites  and  stings  of  animals, 273 

DISEASES   OP  WOMEN. 

General  hints 276 

Menstruation, 279 

The  whites, 284 

Diseases  of  married  life, 286 

Diseases  of  childbirth, 295 

Hints  on  weaning, 301 

Barrenness, 303 

MiSCBLLAXEOUS, 305 


ILLUSTEATIONS. 


^  •  > » » 


PAOB 

Ornamental  heading, 9 

Skunk  cabbage, 52 

Catnip, 57 

Spearmint, 66 

Tansy, 71 

Poke,  skoke,  garget,  or  coakum, 78 

Bnake  root, 84 

Saffron, 91 

Hoarhound, 106 

Elecampane, 115 

<5eneca  snake-root, 116 

Burdock 120 

Indian  Turnip, 127 

Pennyroyal, 137 

Bayberry,  or  Wax  myrtle, 144 

Wild  carrot, 145 

Blood,  or  Puccoon  root,  153 

Dandelion, 155 

Lobelia,  or  Indian  tobacco 169 

Boneset,  or  Thoroughwort, 178 

WUd  Indigo, 184 

Golden  seal, 213 

Solomon's  seal 229 

Mandrake 241 

Plantain, 274 

Comfrey, 285 

(8) 


We  need 

not  spend  many  ^P^mj/jW/" 
words,  friendly  reader,  in  introducing  our 
subject.  As  you  have  kindly  solicited  our 
counsel,  we  will  meet  you  with  a  sympathizing  spirit,  and 
in  kind  language.  We  have  about  us  neither  mystery  nor 
concealment;  but  are  desirous  only  to  understand  your 
sufferings,  and  in  the  most  simple  and  direct  manner  to 
minister  the  best  remedies.  We  have  no  special  object 
to  pursue  beyond  what  we  avow;  we  have  no  par- 
ticular system  to  advance;  and  we  have  no  wish  to  make 

(9) 


10  INTRODUCTORY  WORDS. 

our  volume   an   advertisement  of  any  nostrums  of  our 
cwn. 

Our  plan  is  with  all  honesty,  simplicity,  and  common 
sense,  to  guard  our  friends  against  what  is  prejudicial  to 
healthy  and  then  to  tell  them  what  to  do  when  disease  visits 
them.  "We  have  realized  much  affliction,  and  know  how 
to  feel  for  those  who  suffer  in  like  manner.  And  we 
earnestly  request  that  the  moment  you  think  w^e  do  not 
understand  your  case,  and  feel  that  we  do  not  render  you 
the  service  you  need,  you  will  at  once  call  in  the  living 
physician  in  whom  you  place  most  confidence.  Our 
desire  is  to  keep  disease  out  of  the  world  ;  but  if  it  really 
succeeds  in  coming  in,  as  soon  as  possible  to  drive  it  away. 
"We  hold  that  every  man  should  desire  to  present  before 
God  and  man  a  sound  mind  in  a  sound  body.  We  are  sure 
that  without  health  we  can  neither  enjoy  happiness  nor 
discharge  the  duties  which  devolve  upon  us;  and  we 
know  also  that,  if  we  would  enjoy  a  healthy  old  age,  we 
must  exercise  the  care  and  prudence  of  the  old  while  we 
are  yet  young.  We  are  ambitious  to  benefit  our  fellow- 
men,  believing  as  we  do,  with  the  world-renowned  John 
Wesley,  that  **  the  best  physician  is  not  he  who  talks  best, 
or  who  writes  best,  but  who  performs  the  most  cures."  We 
believe  that  the  conditions  of  ^er/ed -health,  either  public 
or  personal,  are  seldom  or  never  attained,  though  attainable; 
that  the  average  length  of  human  life  may  be  very  much 
extended^  and  its  physical  power  greatly  augmented ;  that 


INTRODUCTORY  WORDS.  11 

in  every  year  thousands  of  lives  are  lost  which  might  have 
been  saved ;  that  tens  of  thousands  of  cases  of  sickness 
occur  which  might  have  been  prevented;  that  a  vast 
amount  of  unnecessarily  impaired  health  and  physical 
debility  exists  among  those  not  actually  confined  by 
sickness;  that  these  preventable  evils  require  an  enormous 
expenditure  and  loss  of  money,  and  impose  upon  the 
people  unmimbered  SLud  immeasurahle  calamities,  pecuniary, 
social,  physical,  mental,  and  moral,  which  might  be 
avoided ;  that  means  exist,  within  our  reach,  for  their  miti- 
gation or  removal ;  and  that  measures  for  prevention  will 
effect  infinitely  more  than  remedies  for  the  cure  of 
disease. 

"  A  man,"  says  '  HalVs  Journal  of  Health,^  "may  diet  as 
well  as  physic  himself  to  death.  Some  time  since  a  young 
man  called  to  see  me,  thin,  ^;afe,  despondent,  and  with  a  great 
variety  of  symptoms.  On  inquiry,  I  found  he  had  been 
reading  about  diet,  vegetable  food,  and  other  similar  sub- 
jects, and  concluding  that  many  persons  owed  their  ill- 
health  to  over-eating,  he  would  eat  very  little  of  any  thing, 
discarded  meat  of  all  kinds,  and  considered  tea  and  coffee 
as  decidedly  poisonous  in  their  ultimate  effects.  By  this 
means,  provisions  being  high,  he  concluded  he  would  save 
money  and  health  too.  He  had,  for  some  time,  been  living 
on  bread  and  potatoes,  a  small  daily  allowance,  with  as 
much  cold  water  as  he  could possibli/  swallow,  the  object  of 


12  INTRODUCTORY  WORDS. 

that  being  to  keep  himself  washed  out  clean  No  ■wonder 
that  such  a  man  was  an  invalid — mind  and  body  full 
of  symptoms."  Dieting  is  not  starvation.  It  is  living 
on  substantial,  nourishing  food,  in  amount  sufficient  to 
satisfy  the  wants  of  the  system.  A  man  is  in  little  dan- 
ger of  eating  too  much,  if  he  confine  himself  to  two  or 
three  plain  articles  of  diet  at  any  one  meal ;  this  is  a 
secret  which  every  man  and  woman  in  the  land  ought 
to  know.  Living  exclusively  on  cold  food  will  soon 
engender  disease,  especially  in  cold  weather.  And  as 
certainly  will  a  scanty  diet  do  the  same  if  persevered  in. 

Men  also  talk  about  ^hardening  the  consiitutioTi,''  and 
with  that  view,  expose  themselves  to  sitmmer^s  sun  and 
winter's  wind,  to  strains  and  over  efforts,  and  many  unneces- 
sary hardships.  To  the  same  end,  ill  informed  mothers 
dip  their  little  infants  in  cold  water  day  by  day;  their 
skin,  and  flesh,  and  bodies,  as  steadily  growing  rougher, 
and  thinner,  and  weaker,  until  slow  fever,  water  on  the 
brain,  or  consumption  of  the  bowels,  carries  them  to  the 
grave;  and  then  they  administer  to  themselves  the  semi- 
comfort  and  rather  questionable  consolation,  of  its  being 
a  mysterious  dispensation  of  Providence,  when  in  fact  the 
fault  is  their  own.  Providence  works  no  miracle  to 
counteract  human  follies. 

The  best  way  we  know  of  hardening  the  constitution^  is 
to  take  good  care  of  it;  for  it  is  no  more  improved  by 


INTRODUCTORY   WORDS.  13 

harsh  treatment  than  a  fine  garment  or  a  new  hat  is  made 
better  bj  being  banged  about. 

The  old  people  used  to  tell  us  that  the  best  physicians 
were  Dr.  Diet,  Dr.  Quiet,  and  Dr.  Merryman,  and  no  man 
can  dispute  that  cheerfulness  wonderfully  contributes  to 
health.  "  Laugh  and  grow  fat,''  is  a  sound  philosophical 
adage.  Sterne  tells  us  that  every  time  a  man  laughs  he 
adds  something  to  his  life.  And  Solomon,  under  the 
guidance  of  inspiration  itself,  says,  "A  merry  heart  doeth 
good  like  a  medicine."  An  eccentric  philosopher  of  the 
List  century  used  to  say  that  heliked  not  only  to  laugh  him- 
self, but  to  see  laughter  and  hear  laughter.  Laughter  is 
good  for  health ;  it  is  a  provocative  to  the  appetite,  and 
a  friend  to  digestion.  Dr.  Sydenham  said  a  merry-maker 
in  town  was  more  beneficial  to  the  health  of  the  inhabit- 
ants than  twenty  asses  loaded  with  medicine.  Even  a 
grave  and  learned  physician  has  before  now  been  disposed 
to  minister  to  the  cheerfulness  of  his  patient.  The  re- 
nowned Dr.  Jenner,  who  first  discovered  vaccination, 
once  sent  the  following  epigram,  with  a  couple  of  ducks, 
to  a  patient — 

*'  I've  dispatched,  my  dear  Madam,  this  scrap  of  a  letter, 

To  say  that  Miss  B is  very  much  better; 

A  regular  doctor  no  loDger  she  lacks, 

And  therefore  I've  sent  her  a  couple  of  quacks." 

Early  risiiig  is  a  subject  which  has  occupied  thousands 

2 


14  INTRODUCTORY  WORDS. 

of  pens,  and  to  omit  a  reference  to  -wliicb  in  a  volume  on 
health  and  sickness  would  be  almost  unpardonable.  It  is 
true  the  climate  of  some  parts  of  the  south  and  west  of  our 
country  does  not  present  very  powerful  arguments  in 
favor  of  early  exercise  in  the  open  air;  but  happily,  time 
and  cultivation  are  every  year  making  even  those  far 
more  healthy,  while  all  the  densely  populated  parts  of  the 
United  States  encourage  the  industry  of  early  day.  But 
we  regret  to  say  that  even  there  early  rising  has  generally 
been  extolled  in  vain,  for  most  people  think  that  an  ad- 
ditional hour's  sleep  is  very  comfortable,  and  can  make 
but  very  little  difference  after  all.  Let  such  persons  re- 
member that  the  difference  between  rising  at  six  and 
rising  at  eighty  in  the  course  of  forty  years,  supposing  a 
person  to  go  to  bed  at  the  same  time  he  otherwise  would, 
amounts  to  29,000  hours,  or  three  years,  one  hundred  and 
twenty-one  days  and  fifteen  hours ;  which  will  afford  eight 
hours  a  day  for  exactly  ten  years ;  which  is  in  fact  the 
same  as  if  ten  years  were  added  to  the  period  of  our 
lives,  in  which  we  might  command  eight  hours  every 
day  for  the  cultivation  of  our  minds  and  the  dispatch  of 
business. 

Those  who  remember  that  our  country  and  the  world, 
are  now  calling  on  our  young  men  both  to  acquire  and 
impart  knowledge,  will  see  the  propriety  of  our  saying 
that  to  the  student  early  rising  is  of  special  importance ; 
for  while  the  physician  teaches  that  one  hour's  sleep  before 


INTRODUCTORY  WORDS.  15 

midnight  is  worth  two  after,  so  the  scholar  will  testify 
that  in  most  parts  of  our  country  an  hour's  exercise 
and  &tudy  in  the  morning  is  worth  two  at  night.  Many 
of  the  hest  books  now  in  use  have  been  written  by  busy 
men  who  have  given  two  of  their  earliest  hours  every  day 
to  their  production.  All  such  men  who  value  their 
health,  will  gratefully  accept  the  advice  of  the  eminent 
Prof'^ssor  Whitaker,  of  Cambridge,  England,  in  the  days 
of  J^mes  the  First,  to  John  Boyse,  one  of  the  translators 
of  tl  ^  English  Bible. 

1.  Study  chiefly  standing  or  walking. 

2.  Never  study  at  a  window. 

3.  Never  go  to  bed  with  cold  feet. 

YTe  are  anxious  to  say  a  few  words  more  on  the  second 
of  these  rules.  As  you  value  your  health,  your  eye- 
sight, or  your  usefulness  to  society,  we  entreat  you  never 
to  use  a  writing-desk  or  table  with  your  face  toward  a 
wandow.  In  such  case,  the  rays  of  light  come  directly 
upon  the  pupil  of  the  eyes,  and,  causing  an  unnatural 
and  forced  contraction  thereof,  soon  permanently  injure 
the  sight.  Next,  when  your  table  or  desk  is  near  a  win- 
dow, sit  so  that  your  face  turns  from,  not  toward,  the 
window  while  you  are  writing.  If  your  face  is  toward 
the  window,  the  oblique  rays  strike  the  eye  and  injure  it 
nearly  as  much  as  the  direct  rays  when  you  sit  in  front 
of  the  window.  It  is  best  always  to  sit  or  stand  while 
reading  or  writing  with  the  window  behind  you;  and 


16  INTRODUCTORY  WORDS. 

next  to  that  with  the  light  coming  over  your  left  side  ; 
then  the  light  illumines  the  paper  or  book,  and  does  not 
shine  abruptly  upon  the  eye-ball. 

The  same  remarks  are  applicable  to  artificial  light. 
"We  are  often  asked  what  is  the  best  light — gas,  candles, 
oil,  or  camphene?  Our  answer  is,  it  is  immaterial  which, 
provided  the  light  of  either  be  strong  enough  and  does  not 
flicker.  A  gas  fish-tail  burner  should  never  be  used  for 
reading  or  writing,  because  there  is  a  constant  oscillation 
or  flickering  of  the  flame.  Candles,  unless  they  have 
self-consuming  wicks,  which  do  not  require  snuffing, 
should  not  be  used.  We  need  scarcely  say  that  oil  wicks, 
which  crust  over  and  thus  diminish  the  light,  are 
good  for  nothing  ;  and  the  same  is  true  of  compounds  of 
the  nature  of  camphene,  unless  the  wicks  are  properly  di- 
vested of  all  their  gummy  deposit  after  standing  twenty- 
four  hours. 

But,  whatever  the  artificial  light  used,  let  it  strike  the 
paper  or  book  which  you  are  using,  whenever  you  can, 
from  over  the  left  shoulder.  This  can  always  be  done 
with  gas,  for  that  light  is  strong  enough,  and  so  is  the 
light  from  camphene,  oil,  etc.,  provided  it  comes  through 
a  circular  burner  like  the  argand.  But  the  light,  what- 
ever it  be,  should  always  be  protected  from  the  air  in 
the  room  by  a  glass  chimney,  so  that  the  light  may  be 
steady. 


INTRODUCTORY   "WORDS.  17 

Scarcely  less  necessary  is  it,  to  impress  on  the  minds 
of  all,  especially  of  the  studious,  the  vast  importance  of 
exercise,  especially  that  taken  in  the  open  air.  "We  know 
the  difficulty  of  leaving  the  interesting  volume  or  the 
fascinating  sheet  which  invites  us  to  place  on  it  our  best 
thoughts,  to  walk  two  or  three  miles  without,  as  it  appears 
at  the  moment,  an  object  worthy  of  our  pursuit.  We 
knew,  some  forty  years  ago,  an  inveterate  student,  who 
suffered  extremely  from  dyspepsia  and  from  obesity  on 
this  very  account,  and  at  length  convinced  himself  as  to 
the  duty  of  every  day  walking  out  three  miles  to  drive  a 
nail  into  a  particular  post,  and  then  return  to  his  studies. 
He  did  this  for  many  years,  as  is  attested  by  thousands 
of  nails  yet  remaining  in  the  post,  which  is  now  often 
visited  as  a  curiosity.  "We  have  before  us  an  extract  of 
a  humorous  letter,  written  by  a  friend  to  a  man  who 
neglected  such  exercise: — "No  wonder  you  grow  fat:  it 
is  often  the  case  with  lazy  people.  Do  something — if  it 
is  nothing  more  than  rolling  snow — and  you  will  feel 
happier  and  breathe  more  freely.  Now — so  horrid  fat — 
what  on  earth  are  you  good  for  ?  You  have  filled  the 
stage  and  the  pew,  and  taken  up  the  room  of  some  three 
or  four.  Just  work  a  little — exert  yourself — and  you 
will  soon  cease  to  be  one 

•  Of  those  hale,  hearty  fellows,' 
who, — 

'  Too  lazy  to  respire  themselves, 
Breathe  through  a  pair  of  bellows  !' " 

2*  B 


18  INTRODUCTORY   WORDS. 

To  say  all  in  a  word,  no  remedy  known  to  men  hag 
such  a  powerful  and  permanent  influence  in  maintaining 
or  regaining  health  as  the  judicious  employment  of  cheer- 
ful exercise  in  the  open  air  ;  and,  if  properly  attended  to 
in  a  timely  manner,  it  will  cure  a  large  majority  of  cura- 
ble diseases,  and  will  sometimes  succeed  when  medicines 
have  lost  their  power. 

Too  much  caution  cannot  be  employed  as  to  the  drinks 
we  use,  as  at  least  ninety-five  per  cent,  of  every  thing 
stronger  than  tea  or  coffee  are  decidedly  injurious. 
From  all  quarters  where  correct  information  is  possessed, 
we  learn  the  extreme  difficulty  of  obtaining  pure  spirits, 
and  are  disposed  to  think  that  even  stimulants  are  best 
in  the  form  of  medicine.  Some  very  important  facts 
have  recently  been  presented  to  the  public  by  Dr.  Hiram 
Cox,  chemical  inspector  of  alcoholic  liquors  in  Cincinnati. 
He  says,  that  during  two  years,  he  has  made  two  hundred 
and  forty-nine  inspections  of  various  kinds  of  liquors, 
and  has  found  more  than  nine-tenths  of  them  imitations, 
and  a  great  portion  of  them  poisonous  concoctions.  Of 
brandy,  he  does  not  believe  there  is  one  gallon  of  pure 
in  a  hundred  gallons,  the  imitations  having  corn  whisky 
for  a  basis,  and  various  poisonous  acids  for  the  condi- 
ments. Of  wines,  not  a  gallon  in  a  thousand,  purporting 
to  be  sherry,  port  or  sweet  Malaga,  is  pure,  but  they  are 
made   of    water,  sulphuric   acid,  alum,  Guinea   pepper, 


INTRODUCTORY  WORDS.  19 

horse-radish,  and  many  of  them  without  a  single  drop  of 
alcoholic  spirit.  Dr.  Cox  warrants  there  are  not  ten 
gallons  of  genuine  port  wine  in  Cincinnati.  In  his  in- 
spections of  whisky,  he  has  found  only  from  seventeen  to 
twenty  per  cent,  of  alcoholic  spirit,  when  it  should  have 
from  forty-five  to  fifty  ;  and  some  of  it  contains  sulphuric 
acid  enough  in  a  quart  to  eat  a  hole  through  a  man's 
stomach.  As  whisky  is  now  the  favorite  beverage, 
these  facts  are  worth  consideration. 

An  ingenious  author  asserts  that  the  length  of  a  man's 
life  may  be  estimated  by  the  number  of  pulsations  he 
has  strength  to  perform.  Thus,  allowing  seventy  years 
for  the  common  age  of  man,  and  sixty  in  a  minute  for 
the  common  measure  of  pulses,  in  a  temperate  person, 
the  number  of  pulsations  in  his  whole  life  would  amount 
to  2,207,520,000 ;  but,  if  by  intemperance,  he  forces  his 
blood  into  a  more  rapid  motion,  so  as  to  give  seventy- 
five  pulses  in  a  minute,  the  same  number  of  pulses  would 
be  completed  in  fifty-six  years,  consequently  his  life 
would  be  reduced  by  fourteen  years. 

In  every  civilized  country,  and  in  every  age,  lathing 
has  been  regarded  as  a  fountain  of  life.  The  author  of 
"  The  Modern  Syrians^^''  when  speaking  of  that  country, 
tells  us:  "Once  on  a  time,  a  French  doctor  came  to  Da- 
mascus to  seek  his  fortune.  When  he  saw  the  luxurious 
vegetation,  he  said,  'This  is   the  place  for  me — plenty 


20  INTRODUCTORY   WORDS. 

of  fever,'  And  then,  on  seeing  the  abundance  of  water, 
he  said,  'More  fever — no  place  like  Damascus.'  "When 
he  entered  the  town,  he  asked  the  people,  'What  is  this 
building?'  'A  bath.'  'And  what  is  that  building  ?'  'A 
bath.'  'And  that  other  building ?'  'A  bath.'  'Plague 
on  these  baths,  they  take  the  bread  out  of  my  mouth/ 
said  the  doctor ;  '  I  must  seek  fever-practice  elsewhere.' 
So  he  turned  his  back,  went  out  of  the  gate  again,  and 
hasted  elsewhere." 

Many  physicians  very  strenuously  contend,  that  at  all 
times  and  under  all  circumstances,  a  bath  entirely  cold  is 
to  be  preferred ;  and  certainly,  some  of  the  most  healthy 
people  we  know,  have  long  been  in  the  habit  of  using 
the  cold  bath,  both  in  summer  and  in  winter,  twice  a  day 
— that  is,  morning  and  night.  We  are  acquainted  with 
a  somewhat  aged  physician,  who,  a  few  years  since, 
looked  prematurely  old,  and  was  tormented  almost  to 
death  with  rheumatism ;  he  took,  several  years  since,  to 
cold  bathing,  and  now  looks  hale  and  hearty,  and  assures 
us  that  he  never  feels  even  a  twitch  of  the  old  enemy. 

In  the  case  of  many  aged  persons,  and  some  others, 
the  teind  bath,  that  is,  one  neither  hot  nor  cold,  but 
which  the  patient  feels  is  just  about  the  heat  of  his 
blood,  is  to  be  preferred.  After  excessive  labor,  a  fa- 
tiguing journey,  or  exposure  to  the  sun  ;  or  indeed,  after 
excitement  of  any  kind,  we  know  of  no  greater  luxury, 
or  any  thing  more  decidedly  contributing  to  health,  than 


INTRODUCTORY  WORDS.  21 

the  tepid  bath.  It  cools  the  whole  animal  system ;  and  we 
are  persuaded  that  if  it  were  used  to  the  extent  it  ought 
to  be,  we  should  have  fewer  fevers  than  are  now  preva- 
lent. In  cases  of  hysterics,  paralysis  and  insanity,  and 
eruptions  and  sores,  the  value  of  the  warm  bath  is  beyond 
all  estimate.  The  beautiful  skins  of  the  French  ladies, 
very  generally  arise  from  their  constancy  of  this  prac- 
tice. The  warm  bath  should  be  used  two  or  three  times 
a  week  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  at  a  time,  always, 
however,  before  meals,  and  not  after  them.  A  little 
sulphur  may  sometimes,  in  cases  of  eruptions,  be  taken 
with  advantage,  in  connection  with  the  bath. 
Hot  baths  are  of  three  kinds: — 

1.  The  general-hot  bath,  in  which  the  body  of  the  pa- 
tient is  immersed  as  high  as  the  chin. 

2.  The  hot  salt-water  hath,  is  used  in  the  same  manner. 

3.  The  partial  hot-ivater  hath,  or  foot-bath,  in  which 
the  feet  and  legs  only  are  immersed. 

While  a  patient  is  being  bathed  in  a  hot-bath,  no 
draught  of  air  should  be  permitted  to  blow;  and  a  fire 
should  be  lighted,  especially  in  winter,  or  in  variable 
weather ;  the  nurse  should  also  have  in  readiness,  a 
warm  flannel  and  sheet,  and  a  large  kettle  full  of  hot 
water. 

The  water  of  the  various  hot-baths  should  be  heated 
to  100°  or  105°  of  Fahrenheit's  thermometer,  or  should 
be  as  warm  as  can  be  conveniently  borne  by  the  nurse's 
hand. 


22  INTRODUCTORY  WORDS. 

In  making  use  of  hot  baths,  take  care  to  leave  sufS- 
cient  room  in  the  vessel  for  the  continual  addition  of  hot 
water,  which  must  be  cautiously  poured  in  from  the  ket- 
tle, so  as  to  maintain  as  nearly  as  possible  the  same  de- 
gree of  heat  during  the  whole  time. 

The  hot-hath  frequently  operates  like  a  soothing  charm, 
particularly  in  the  diseases  of  children  dependent  on 
irritation  of  the  bowels.  Often  whilst  immersed  in  the 
water  the  child  will  cease  to  moan,  and  gently  over- 
powered by  the  delicious  sleep  succeeding  pain,  smile  as 
it  slumbers  on  its  mother's  arm.  The  hot-bath,  however, 
is  not  always  advisable,  even  when  recommended  by 
learned  authorities;  when  there  exists  great  determina- 
tion of  blood  to  the  head,  with  a  disposition  to  fits,  the 
foot-bath  is  to  be  preferred  ;  neither  should  the  use  of  the 
hot-bath  be  persevered  in  when  it  causes  excessive  agi- 
tation. 

Any  large  vessel,  such  as  a  washing-tub,  that  will  con- 
tain a  sufficient  quantity  of  water  to  cover  every  part  of 
the  body  excepting  the  head,  will  serve  the  purpose  of  a 
bath.  The  patient  should  be  immersed  as  high  as  the 
chin,  and  be  kept  in  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  by  the  clock, 
not  by  calculation.  When  taken  out,  the  patient  should 
be  immediately  wrapped  up  in  the  warm  sheet,  and 
wiped  rapidly,  for  it  is  of  more  importance  to  dry  quickly 
than  completely.  The  patient  should  then  be  wrapped 
up  in  the  warm  flannel,  and  be  put  to  bed,  the  quantity 


INTRODUCTORY   WORDS.  23 

of  the  coverings  being  gradually  diminished  as  the  pa- 
tient becomes  hot,  restless,  and  uncomfortable. 

Sometimes,  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  allay  the  agita- 
tion which  children  show  in  coming  in  contact  with 
water,  but  patience,  guided  by  good  sense,  will  usually  suc- 
ceed. It  may  be  advisable  in  such  cases  at  first  only  to 
immerse  the  legs,  allowing  the  hot  water  gradually  to 
cover  the  body,  as  the  child  becomes  familiarised  to  it. 
A  playful  cheerful  manner,  on  the  part  of  the  mother  or 
nurse,  will  often  prevail  when  all  other  methods  fail. 

The  hot  salt-water  hath^  is  often  highly  serviceable  in 
exciting  a  healthful  and  uniform  warmth  of  the  skin.  In 
many  dangerous  bowel  diseases,  in  rickets,  and  in  dis- 
eases attended  by  extreme  emaciation,  the  skin  of  the 
whole  body,  but  more  particularly  of  the  feet  and  legs, 
becomes  cold  almost  as  marble;  but  if  warmth  can  be  re 
stored,  the  patient  will  frequently  recover. 

One  or  two  pounds  of  salt  may  be  mixed  with  each 
gallon  of  water,  the  patient  being  immersed  as  high  as 
the  chin.  Being  generally  much  debilitated,  they  should 
not  remain  in  the  water  longer  than  four  or  five  min- 
utes by  the  clock,  and  must  then  be  treated  as  after 
making  use  of  the  ordinary  hot-bath. 

The  foot-hath  is  useful  in  a  variety  of  cases,  especially 
when  the  legs  are  cold,  the  head  hot,  and  the  patient  dis- 
posed to  convulsions ;  a  common  pail  will  hold  a  suffi- 
cient quantity  of  water.     The  legs  should  be  immersed 


24  INTRODUCTORY  WORDS. 

nearly   as  high  as  the   knees,    room  being  left   for  the 
continual  addition  of  hot  water. 

Should  the  feet  continue  cold  after  the  use  of  the  foot 
bath,  it  may  be  proper  to  repeat  it,  adding  to  the  hot 
water  a  quantity  of  salt,  as  in  preparing  the  hot  salt- 
water bath.  Should  the  feet  still  continue  cold,  add  also 
some  flour  of  mustard,  in  the  proportion  of  two  or  three 
tablespoonsful  to  a  gallon,  in  order  to  render  the  hot 
water  more  permanently  stimulating. 

"We  regard  Tobacco  as  one  of  the  greatest  enemies  of 
the  human  family,  and  indeed  of  all  life;  hence  no  animal 
but  man  will  touch  it.  Dr.  Dixon  very  properly 
maintains  that  the  use  of  tobacco,  in  any  shape,  is  pro- 
ductive of  the  most  fearful  physical  results.  He  at- 
tributes, in  fact,  most  of  the  distressing  maladies  we 
are  subject  to,  as  well  as  the  gaunt,  sallow  countenances  of 
too  many  Americans,  to  the  nicotin,  or  oil  of  tobacco, 
infused  into  the  system  by  the  general  habit  of  smoking 
or  chewing.  "Nicotin,"  remarks  this  able  physician,  "was 
the  awful  agent  chosen  by  Bocarme  for  poisoning  his 
brother-in-law,  because  it  killed  and  left  no  sign  whereby 
to  convict  him."  He  adds,  that  "five  drops  of  the  oil  of 
tobacco  will  kill  a  large  dog." 

"We  may  add  here  that  a  distinguished  college  of  phy- 
sicians, have  decided  that  not  less  than  twenty  thousand 
persons  die  annually,  in  the  United  States,  from  the  use  of 
tliii  prison,  which  is  almost  infinitely  more  injurious  to 


INTROLUCTORY   WORDS.  25 

those  who  use  it  thaQ  the  most  pernicious  alcohol.  A 
German  periodical  tells  us  that  half  the  young  men  who 
die  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  years  of  age,  are  destroyed 
by  the  use  of  tobacco. 

We  are  equally  opposed  to  the  use  of  Snuff. 

Scholars,  orators,  and  soldiers  have  pursued  this 
habit  of  snuff-taking  till  their  brains  have  become  seri- 
ously diseased,  their  strength  has  declined,  and  they  have 
sunk  prematurely  into  the  grave. 

A  gentleman  once  asked  the  celebrated  Abernethy  if 
he  thought  the  moderate  use  of  snuflf  would  injure  the 
brain  ?  "  No,  sir,"  was  Abernethy's  prompt  reply,  "  for 
no  man  with  a  single  ounce  of  brains  would  ever  think 
of  taking  snuflf  I" 

The  eminent  Dr.  Eush  says,  in  his  manuscript  lectures, 
"  I  once  attended  a  gentleman  who  had  been  for  some- 
time troubled  with  pains  in  his  stomach,  accompanied 
with  loss  of  appetite  and  considerable  emaciation.  Ob- 
serving that  he  frequently  practiced  the  taking  of  snuff, 
to  which  I  attributed  his  complaints,  I  advised  him  to 
suspend  the  use  of  it.  This  he  accordingly  did,  and  soon 
began  to  mend  very  fast.  I  was  informed  by  him  a  few 
weeks  after,  that  he  had  gained  thirty  pounds  in  flesh, 
and  was  at  that  period  in  the  enjoyment  of  perfect  health." 

We  will  close  this  section  by  condensing  into  a  few 
sentences  the  result  of  much  thought : — 
3 


26  INTRODUCTORY  WORDS. 

A  healthy  stock  makes  a  strong  and  healthy  race;  as 
you  could  not  select  your  parents,  get  health  yourself, 
that  you  may  give  it  to  those  who  follow  you. 

Good  morals  preserve  good  health. 

Divellings  on  high  ground  in  a  dry  situation  and  away 
from  the  town,  are  more  healthful  than  those  on  low 
ground  in  damp  situations  and  in  close  streets. 

Good  ventilation  and  good  drainage  are  of  the  first 
importance  to  health. 

Prevent  had  smells^  which  are  unpleasant  and  dangerous 
to  life. 

Temperature  from  60°  to  Q&^  is  most  healthful. 

Exercise  is  necessary  to  the  health,  both  of  body  and 
mind,  and  both  should  be  actively  employed;  if  your 
business  confines  you  to  the  house,  endeavor  to  obtain 
exercise  in  the  open  air,  either  before  your  labors  begin 
or  when  they  have  ended;  gardening  combines  profit 
with  exercise  ;  cricket  and  manly  games  exhilarate  and 
strengthen  the  mind  as  well  as  the  body. 

Air  is  to  the  lungs  what  food  is  to  the  body ;  therefore, 
breathe  all  the  fresh  air  you  can. 

Rise  early  and  retire  early  to  rest ;  let  your  bed-room 
be  as  clean  as  possible,  and  free  from  boxes,  curtains, 
and  furniture.  It  is  m.ost  healthful  to  imitate  the 
birds,  they  roost  above  the  reach  of  the  vapors  of  the 
ground. 

Wash  well;  let  your  first  waking  act  be  to  wash  your 


INTRODUCTORY  WORDS.  27 

body,  teeth,  face,  hands,  and  feet ;  use  plenty  of  soap, 
rub  it  on  your  skin  with  your  hands  or  a  piece  of  flan- 
nel, then  rinse  it  off  well  with  fresh  water,  and  dry  the 
skin  well  with  a  clean  cloth ;  if  your  occupations  are 
dusty  or  dirty,  wash  before  you  sleep. 

Be  regular  with  your  meals,  and  eat  them  slowly ;  three 
meals  are  enough  for  any  one — breakfast,  dinner  and 
supper ;  the  tea,  as  a  separate  meal,  is  bad  :  tea  and 
supper  should  be  one. 

I^at  and  drink  moderately ;  to  be  light  and  bright  at 
your  work,  carry  a  light  load.  Take  nothing  between 
meals  ;  if  you  are  thirsty,  drink  water. 

Ardent  spirits  are  wholly  unnecessary ;  the  Indians 
call  them  fire-water,  for  they  burn  up  the  vital  organs. 

Clothing  should  be  clean  and  sweet ;  woolen  in  winter 
cotton  in  summer.  To  keep  your  head  cool  and  your 
feet  warm,  is  a  wise  maxim. 

The  chest  should  not  be  exposed  to  damp  and  cold,  for 
in  it  are  the  lungs  and  the  heart.  For  the  same  reason 
the  chest  should  have  free  play,  and  the  clothes  should 
be  hung  from  the  shoulders  and  not  from  the  waist. 

Pressure  round  the  waist  of  any  kind  is  hurtful  and 
dangerous  to  life ;  this  custom  is  as  injurious  to  women 
as  tobacco  is  to  men. 

Laugh  and  grow  fat  is  a  good  adage ;  cheerfulness 
begets  health,  and  health  begets  cheerfulness  ;  and  both, 
thankfulness  for  God's  mercies. 


28  INTRODUCTORY  WORDS. 

To  he  arigry  is  to  he  contemptihU ;  it  destroys  self-re- 
spect and  digestion. 

Occupaiions  that  compel  close  confinement,  stooping, 
leaning,  etc.,  and  those  that  injure  the  breathing,  or  ex- 
pose to  unhealthy  influences,  must  be  counteracted  by  a 
strict  observance  of  the  rules  of  health. 
A  quaint  old  song  says : — 

Ye  -who  would  save  your  features  florid, 
Lithe  limbs,  bright  eyes,  unwrinkled  forehead, 
From  Age's  devastation  horrid. 

Adopt  this  plan ; 
'Twill  make,  in  climate  cold  or  torrid, 

A  hale  old  man. 

Avoid  in  youth  luxurious  diet. 
Restrain  the  passion's  lawless  riot, 
Devoted  to  domestic  quiet, 

Be  wisely  gay ; 
So  shall  ye,  spite  old  Age's  fiat. 

Resist  decay. 

Seek  not,  in  Mammon's  worship,  pleasure- 
But  find  your  richest,  purest  treasure, 
In  books,  friends,  music,  polished  leisure— 

The  mind,  not  cents. 
Make  the  sole  scale  by  which  to  measure 

Opulence. 

This  is  the  solace,  this  the  science, 
Life's  purest,  sweetest,  best  appliance, 
That  disappoints  not  man's  reliance, 

Whate'er  his  state — 
But  challenges,  with  calm  defiance, 

Time,  fortune,  fate. 


THE    SICK    ROOM. 


HIS  should  be  in  the  upper  part 
of  the  house — diseases  proving 
more  fatal  in  the  lower  or  lowest 
apartments,  as  in  parlors,  kitch- 
ens or  cellars.  It  should  be  contin- 
ually and  thoroughly  ventilated  by  day  and  by  night : 
the  window  or  door  should  be  frequently  left  open,  the 
patient  being  screened  from  immediate  contact  with  the 
draught :  the  fewer  persons  in  the  room  the  better  ;  one 
more  than  the  necessary  attendant  is  one  too  many  ;  the 
air  of  the  apartment  being  rendered  injurious  by  those 
who  breathe  it. 

Many  diseases,  especially  those  which  are  preceded  by 
languor,  lassitude,  and  drowsiness,  are  produced  by  a 
foul  atmosphere,  and  by  the  effluvia  from  drains  and 
eewers  :  the  recovery  of  the  patient  will  often  entirely 
depend  upon  a  removal  to  a  pure  air. 

The  utmost  possible  cleanliness  should  be  observed, 
and  the  room  be  entirely  freed  from  unpleasant  smells. 
A  few  drops  of  the  oil  of  sandal-wood,  which,  though 
not  in  general  use,  may  be  easily  obtained,  when  dropped 
on  a  hot  shovel,  will  diffuse  a  most  agreeable  balsamic 
3*  (29) 


30  THE  SICK   ROOM. 

perfume  througbout  the  atmosphere ;  or,  a  small  piece 
of  resin  dipped  in  hot  water,  will  add  a  peculiar  prop- 
erty to  the  room,  which  will  give  relief  to  persons  trou- 
bled with  a  cough.  The  heat  of  the  water  is  sufficient 
to  throw  off  the  aroma  of  the  resin,  and  give  the  same 
relief  as  is  afforded  by  its  combustion.  It  is  prefera- 
ble to  the  combustion,  because  the  evaporation 
is  more  durable.  The  same  resin  may  be  used  for 
weeks. 

The  temperature  of  the  room  should  be  as  uniform  as 
possible ;  and  as  a  general  rule,  we  may  say,  that  about 
sixty  degrees  of  Fahrenheit  will  be  found  most  agreeable 
to  the  feelings,  as  well  as  most  favorable  to  the  return 
of  health. 

So  far  as  the  patient  can  comfortably  bear  it,  it  should 
also  be  light.  A  multitude  of  facts  testify  to  its  import- 
ance. Sir  Andrew  Wylie,  who  was  for  a  long  time  at 
the  head  of  the  medical  staff  in  the  Eussian  army,  stated 
that  the  cases  of  disease  on  the  dark  side  of  an  extensive 
barrack  at  St.  Petersburg,  have  been  uniformly,  for 
many  years,  in  the  proportion  of  three  to  one  of  those  on 
the  side  exposed  to  strong  light.  In  one  of  the  London 
Hospitals  with  a  long  range  of  frontage  looking  nearly 
due  north  and  south,  it  has  been  observed  that  the  pa- 
tients more  rapidly  recover  on  the  sunny  than  on  the 
shady  side  of  the  building.     Scrofula  is  well  known  to 


THE  SICK  ROOM.  31 

be  more  prevalent  in  dark  and  narrow  streets,  than  in 
those  which  are  broad  and  well  ventilated.  Any  tax 
upon  daylight,  therefore,  as  Dr.  Carpenter  has  well  ob- 
served, is  a  direct  tax  upon  Public  Health  and  National 
Prosperity.  Of  course,  light  is  injurious  in  cases  of  vio- 
lent fever. 

Nor  is  it  less  important  that,  as  far  as  may 
be,  every  thing  about  the  room  should  wear  a  cheerful 
aspect.  It  is  a  characteristic  of  music-loving  Bohemia, 
that  in  a  Lunatic  Asylum  of  its  capital,  music  should  be 
considered  one  of  the  chief  instruments  for  improvement 
of  the  patients.  In  addition  to  the  garden  concerts,  in 
which  all  assist  who  can,  there  are  quartets  every  even- 
ing in  the  wards,  and  a  director  is  appointed,  for 
the  express  purpose  of  superintending  this  part  of  the 
arrangements. 

In  sleeping,  that  posture  should  be  chosen  which  is 
promotive  of  deep  and  full  inspirations,  because  nature 
renders  the  latter  deeper  when  we  are  asleep  than  awake, 
except  in  action.  Hence  a  high  head,  by  cramping  both 
the  windpipe  and  the  blood-vessels,  is  bad.  The  head 
should  rest  on  a  line  with  the  body 

As  you  value  your  own  health,  never  place  yourself 
between  the  patient  and  the  fire,  for  there  is  always  a 
current  in  that  direction  from  all  parts  of  the  room; 
hence  the  effluvia  from  the  sick  man  passes  by,  and  is 
breathed  by  you. 


82  THE   STCK   EOOM. 

Never  swallow  your  saliva,  nor  eat  or  drink  any  thing 
in  a  sick  room. 

Do  not  go  where  the  sick  are  while  in  a  perspiration, 
nor  under  any  circumstances  of  exhaustion. 

But  above  all  things,  it  is  most  important,  that  your 
conduct  while  visiting  the  sick  should  be  wise  and  pru- 
dent. We  are  aware  that  this  subject  is  one  of  great 
delicacy,  but  it  is  one  on  which  some  plain  hints  are 
called  for.  "We  have  had  much  opportunity  for  obser- 
vation, and  been  painfully  taught  by  experience. 

A  sick  room  is  no  place  for  curiosity.  Curiosity  in  a 
sick  and  dying  chamber  1  Yes,  reader,  you  have  perhaps 
gazed  upon  an  emaciated  and  suffering  fellow-being,  and 
used  up  a  portion  of  the  vital  air  needed  by  a  gaspir.g 
mortal,  when  nothing  but  curiosity  led  you  to  that  scene 
of  suffering.  If  no  good  word  is  to  be  said,  or  kind 
service  to  be  rendered  in  a  sick  and  dying  room,  it  is  the 
last  place  to  which  one  should  go  as  a  mere  spectator. 
Every  new  face,  the  tread  of  every  uncalled-for  foot,  the 
demands  upon  the  air  for  breath,  the  breathing  of 
such  as  must  be  in  attendance,  is  an  injury  in  sickness, 
and  especially  when  debility  is  great.  And  yet  the  pro- 
testations of  physicians,  and  the  anxiety  of  family  rela- 
tives, cannot  control  this  evil  or  cure  it.  Nine  persons 
out  of  ten  feel  as  if  it  were  an  act  of  rude  neglect,  if 
they  are  not  invited  into  a  sick  room,  and  a  direct  insult 
if  told  that  they  must  not  go.     We  have  seen  persons 


THE   STCK   ROOM.  B3 

go  into  such  a  room,  and  sit  hour  after  hour,  with  their 
eyes  fixed  on  the  sick  person,  occasionally  whispering  to 
some  equally  indiscreet  one  that  may  chance  to  be  nigh. 
This  is  intolerahle.  We  cannot  endure  the  fixed  gaze  of 
half  a  dozen  persons  when  well^  and  what  must  it  be  to 
one  sinking  and  dying  I  Others  will  hang  about  the 
door  and  peep  at  the  sufferer,  as  they  would  steal  a  look 
at  some  show.  We  have  seen  this  so  much,  that  we  can 
scarcely  write  and  possess  our  souls  in  patience. 

Another  practice  where  the  patient  is  very  sick,  is 
that  of  feeling  the  pulse,  looking  at  the  finger  nails, 
examining  the  feet,  with  sundry  other  acts,  all  of  which 
are  accompanied  with  a  very  wise  look,  a  sigh  and  a 
whisper.  These  things  are  done  by  persons  who  very 
poorly  understand  their  own  tests  of  approaching  death, 
and  alike  mistake  the  good  and  comfort  of  the  dying. 
Think  not  that  we  would  have  the  fact  of  approaching 
death  kept  from  any  friend  or  any  fellow  being;  far 
from  this — but  let  the  matter  be  kindly,  wisely  and  dis- 
tinctly stated  to  the  patient,  and  not  by  such  untimely, 
and,  we  may  say,  unkind  hints  and  insinuations.  It 
should  never  be  forgotten,  that  in  almost  every  case  the 
patient  is  perfectly  aware  of  all  which  is  going  on  in  the 
room,  whether  it  may  appear  so  to  spectators  or  not. 

It  is  unwise  to  repress  the  expression  of  strong  feel- 
ings on  the  part  of  the  patient.  A  lengthy  dissertation 
has  lately  been  published  by  a  physician  of  France,  on 


34  THE   SICK   ROOM. 

the  beneficial  influences  of  groaning  and  crying,  on  the 
nervous  system.  He  contends  that  these  are  the  two 
grand  operations  by  which  Nature  allays  anguish — that 
he  has  uniformly  observed  that  those  patients  who 
give  way  to  their  natural  feelings,  more  speedily  recover 
from  accidents  and  operations,  than  those  who  supposed 
it  unworthy  a  man  to  betray  such  symptoms  of  coward- 
ice as  either  to  groan  or  cry.  He  is  always  pleased  with 
the  crying  and  violent  roaring  of  a  patient  during  the 
time  he  is  undergoing  a  severe  surgical  operation,  be- 
cause he  is  satisfied  that  he  will  thereby  soothe  his  ner- 
vous system  so  as  to  prevent  fever,  and  insure  a  favora- 
ble termination.  He  relates  the  case  of  a  man,  who,  by 
crying  and  bawling,  reduced  his  pulse  from  one  hundred 
and  twenty -six  to  sixty,  in  the  course  of  two  hours. 
That  some  patients  often  have  great  satisfaction  in  groan- 
ing, and  that  hysterical  patients  experience  great  relief 
from  crying,  are  facts  which  no  person  will  deny.  As 
to  restless  and  hypochondriacal  subjects,  or  those  who 
are  never  happy  but  when  they  are  under  some  course 
of  medical  or  dietetic  treatment,  the  French  surgeon  as- 
sures them  that  they  can  not  do  better  than  groan  all  day 
and  cry  all  night. 

It  is  also  sometimes  useful  to  bring  bfore  the  patient 
a  pleasant  reminiscence  of  the  past.  When  the  late  Dr. 
Eush  was  a  young  man,  he  escorted  a  lady,  on  a  holiday, 
to  see  an  eagle's  nest.     Many  years  afterward  he  was 


THE  SICK  ROOM.  85 

called  to  attend  her  in  the  acute  stage  of  typhus  ;  and,  on 
his  entrance  into  her  chamber,  she  instantly  screamed 
out,  "  Eagle's  nest  1"  and  it  is  said  from  that  moment 
the  fever  began  to  decline. 

The  importance  of  the  subject  will  justify  a  few  re- 
marks on  Cookery  for  the  sick. 

Much  here  depends  on  the  taste,  the  previous  habits, 
and  indeed  prejudices  of  the  patient,  and  it  is  always  pru- 
dent, except  in  extreme  cases,  to  make  no  unnecessary  de- 
parture from  the  patient's  usual  diet.  Extremes  should  be 
avoided  both  in  the  use  of  animal  food  and  of  vegetables. 
A  judicious  blending  of  the  two  we  judge  to  be  far  the  better 
plan.  Yery  much  depends  on  cooking.  All  food  taken 
by  the  sick  should  be  light,  easy  of  digestion,  and  never 
taken  in  large  quantities.  We  have  long  been  of  opin- 
ion that  for  the  sick  room  Indian  corn,  in  all  its  variety 
of  cooking,  is  an  unspeakable  blessing.  We  will  here 
throw  together  a  few  references  to  food  and  its  cookery, 
which  may  at  least  furnish  hints  to  good  nurses ;  who, 
however,  know  that  a  choice  morsel  of  food  unexpectedly 
placed  before  the  patient  is  often  the  most  acceptable  and 
useful. 

Cut  some  codfish  to  bits  the  size  of  peas,  and  boil  it  a 
minute  in  water  to  freshen  it.  Pour  off  all  the  water, 
and  add  some  cream  and  a  little  pepper. 

Split  and  toast  a  Boston  cracker,  and  put  tlie  above 


86  THE   SICK   ROOM. 

upon  it.  Milk  and  a  little  butter  may  be  used  instead 
of  cream. 

Ham  or  smoked,  beef  maybe  prepared  in  tlie  same 
way.  For  a  variety,  beat  up  an  egg  and  stir  it  in,  in- 
stead of  cream,  or  with  the  cream. 

Chicken  tea  is  made  by  boiling  any  part  of  the 
chicken,  and  using  the  broth  weak  with  only  a  little 
salt. 

Chicken  broth  is  made  by  boiling  the  chicken  a  good 
deal,  and  skimming  very  thoroughly  and  seasoning  with 
salt.  A  little  rice  or  pearl  barley  improves  it,  or  a  little 
parsley  may  be  used  to  flavor  it. 

Chicken  Panada  is  made  by  pounding  some  of  the 
meat  of  boiled  chicken  in  a  mortar  with  a  little  broth 
and  also  a  little  salt  and  nutmeg.  Then  pour  in  a  little 
more  broth  and  boil  it  five  minutes.  It  should  be  a 
thick  broth. 

Calf 's -feet  jelly  is  of  great  value  in  cases  of  sickness  or 
convalescence,  while  its  preparation  is  very  easy. 
"Well  clean  two  calf's-feet,  boil  them  in  a  gallon  of 
water  till  it  is  reduced  to  a  quart.  When  cold,  skim  off 
all  the  fat.  and  carefully  take  up  all  the  jelly  quite  clean, 
put  it  into  a  saucepan  with  half  a  pound  of  loaf  sugar, 
a  pint  of  sherry  wine,  and  the  juice  of  four  lemons. 
Then  take  the  whites  of  six  eggs,  well  beaten  up,  and  hav- 
ing stirred  all  up  well,  let  it  boil  for  a  few  minutes, 
Pour  the  whole  into  a  large  flannel  bag,  and  having  put 


THE   SICK   ROOM.  37 

some  thin  lemon  peel  put  into  a  large  basin,  drain  the 
whole  off,  and  when  cold  it  is  fit  for  use.  The  lemon 
peel  greatly  improves  both  the  color  and  flavor. 

Another  jelly  may  be  made  from  Tapioca,  or  from 
Sago  ;  slowly  boiled,  and  mixed  with  a  little  sherry  or 
raisin  wine,  lemon  juice  and  sugar  to  suit  the  taste  of 
the  patient. 

It  is,  we  presume,  entirely  unnecessary  to  say  a  word 
on  the  advantages  of  water-gruel,  caudle,  mutton-broth, 
or  beef-tea,  or  of  the  manner  in  which  they  ought  to  be 
prepared,  as  every  good  housekeeper  may  be  supposed 
fully  to  understand  these  matters. 

These  preparations  might  be  extended  to  an  indefinite 
length,  but  we  have  purposely  refrained  from  this  task. 
While  it  is  sometimes  necessary  to  tempt  or  stimulate 
the  appetite,  it  is  often  quite  as  important  to  allow  the 
sick  to  follow  the  dictates  of  Nature,  and  when  they  desire 
it,  to  abstain  both  from  food  and  drink.  Especially  is 
this  true  in  all  cases  of  fever,  where,  except  in  danger  of 
positive  exhaustion,  the  less  taken  the  better.  A  careful 
and  experienced  nurse,  or  a  judicious  physician,  should 
always  be  consulted  in  cases  where  diet  becomes  a  very 
serious  question.     A  fact  here  may  give  a  useful  hint. 

In  the  city  of  Constantinople  once  lived  a  physician 
of  great  renown  ;  he  was  neither  a  professor  of  homoeo- 
pathy nor  of  animal  magnetism,  yet  the  cures  he  effected 
were  considered  as  little  less  than  miraculous  ;  multitudes 
•i 


33  THE   SICK    ROOM. 

had  been  wonderfully  relieved  or  restored  by  his  almost 
superhuman  skill,  yet  all  he  administered  to  each  patient 
were  three  or  four  drops  of  a  tasteless  liquid,  and  the 
advice  he  gave  was  the  same  in  all  instances.  The  fame 
of  his  marvelous  doings  penetrated  even  to  the  ears  of 
the  Sultan ;  he  was  summoned  to  the  sublime  presence, 
and  commanded  to  divulge  the  secret  nature  of  the 
wonder-working  drops.  "  Light  of  the  Universe,"  said 
the  trembling  doctor,  "  if  once  the  nature  of  these  drops 
is  known,  their  efficacy  is  lost."  "  Slave,"  replied  the 
Sultan,  winking  his  sublime  eye  at  a  big  black  fellow 
called  a  eunuch,  "  no  hesitation !  out  with  the  secret,  or 
prepare  for  the  bowstring."  "Three  drops  of  water  1 
three  drops  of  water!"  cried  the  doctor  ;  "  nothing  else,  by 
the  beard  of  the  Prophet;  my  wonderful  cures  have  all 
been  effected  by  diet." 

The  drinks  of  the  patient  in  the  sick-room,  are  of  great 
importance,  especially  in  cases  of  fever.  A  whey  may 
be  made,  which  will  be  found  very  useful  in  low  fevers, 
of  an  ounce  or  an  ounce  and  half  of  mustard,  boiled  in  a 
pint  of  milk,  and  as  much  water  till  the  curd  be  entirely 
separated.  It  should  be  strained  through  a  cloth,  and  a 
tea-cupful  sweetened  with  sugar  given  three  or  four  times 
a  day. 

In  diabetes  and  uterine  hemorrhasre.  boil  two  drachms 

O     I 

of  powdered  alum  in  a  pint  of  milk  till  it  is  curdled,  and 


THE  SICK   ROOM.  39 

fheu  strain  out  the  whey.  Give  a  wine-glassful,  or 
what  the  stomach  will  bear,  two  or  three  times  a  day. 

In  cases  of  fever,  boil  two  quarts  of  water  with  two 
ounces  each  of  tamarinds,  currants,  and  raisins,  till  the 
whole  be  reduced  to  three  pints.  Strain  it  on  a  piece  of 
lemon  peel,  which  should  be  removed  before  it  makes 
the  drink  bitter. 

Scalded  currants,  cranberries,  or  sliced  or  roasted  ap- 
ples, or  a  few  slices  of  lemon  with  boiling  water,  slightly 
sweetened  with  sugar,  make  pleasant  and  refreshing 
drinks. 

As  lovers  of  simple  remedies,  we  are  fond  o? poultices^ 
but  to  accomplish  their  purpose  they  should  be  carefully 
made,  and  we  can  find  no  better  place  than  this  in  which 
to  give  a  few  directions  on  their  preparation. 

In  a  bread  and  water  poultice  it  is  important  to  re- 
member, that  little  good  can  be  effected  by  a  slice  of 
bread  sopped  in  hot- water  by  a  nursery  sloven,  and  put 
like  a  pancake  on  the  part.  Such  a  poultice  should  be 
made  of  crumbs  of  stale  bread,  put  into  a  basin  and  boil- 
ing water  poured  upon  them;  the  whole  must  then  be 
covered  with  a  plate  till  the  heat  has  subsided  to  a  com- 
fortable warmth  ;  then  lightly  drain  off  the  water,  and 
apply  the  poultice  quite  wet  to  the  part  affected. 

A  poultice  is  intended  to  answer  the  purpose  of  a 
continual  fomentation,  and  must  of  course  be  renewed 


40  THE   SICK  ROOM. 

immediately  it  becomes  dry.     In  endeavoring  to  sootlie 

the  irritation  of  highly  inflamed  parts,  it  is  necessary  to 
apply  one  four  or  five  times  a  day;  in  every  instance, 
where  a  poultice  can  be  of  any  service,  it  should  be  re- 
newed two  or  three  times  a  day ;  and  over  its  surface, 
when  put  on  for  the  night,  may  be  spread  a  little  lard  or 
sweet  oil,  to  preserve  its  moisture. 

Linseed-meal  poultices  must  also  be  applied  quite 
moist  to  the  part.  These,  as  generally  made,  more  fre- 
quently irritate  than  soothe,  and  can  have  no  other  effect 
than  what  would  be  produced  by  a  piece  of  dry  leather. 

A  linseed-meal  poultice  often  proves  more  eflQcacious 
than  bread  and  water  in  removing  incrustation  from  the 
head. 

As  an  instance  of  the  usefulness  of  poultices,  we  may 
mention  that  of  a  poor  woman  who  hdd  received  a  very 
dangerous  wound  in  the  tendons  of  her  thumb  from  a 
rusty  nail,  which  threatened  lockjaw.  Her  physician 
advised  her  to  apply  a  large  poultice,  covering  her  whole 
hand,  and  arm,  made  of  linseed  with  an  ounce  of  lau- 
danum spread  over  it,  which  he  ordered  to  be  renewed 
twice  a  day.     In  three  weeks  she  was  entirely  cured. 

A  good  yeast  poultice  may  be  made  of  a  little  ale  or 
beer,  in  which  should  be  boiled  as  much  oatmeal  as  will 
make  it  quite  thick,  and  on  this  poultice  should  be 
spread  one  or  two  spoonsful  of  yeast. 

Eye-meal  poultice  is  made  exactly  like  mush,  except 


THE   SICK   ROOM. 


41 


that  extreme  care  must  be  taken  to  make  it  quite 
smooth. 

Charcoal  poultice  is  made  in  the  same  way  as  the  one 
.we  have  just  described,  with  the  addition  of  two  table- 
spoonsful  of  finely  powdered  fresh-made  charcoal. 

Carrot  poultice  is  often  found  useful  in  ulcers,  swellings, 
and  scrofulous  sores.  It  is  made  simply  of  bruised  car- 
rots, with  a  little  flour  and  butter,  and  as  much  hot- 
water  as  will  make  it  into  a  pulp. 

Dr.  Bone,  of  New  Jersey,  strongly  recommends,  in  cases 
of  inflammation  or  ulcers,  a  poultice  made  of  the  powder 
of  black  willow  bark,  often  called  pussy  willow,  and 
common  cream.     It  has  been  found  very  useful. 


4* 


THE    DISEASEIo   OF    CHILDEEN. 

ilROM  the  moment  of  birth  to  that 
of  death  we  are  liable  to  disease, 
and  indeed  are  never  free  from  it. 
^  And  yet  with  how  much  unconcern 
is  this  fact  regarded.  We  cannot  doubt  the 
love  of  American  mothers  to  their  children,  but  we 
seriously  deprecate  the  manner  in  which  that  love  some- 
times shows  itself;  and  believe  there  would  be  far  less  in- 
fantile disease  and  death,  if  such  were  properly  trained 
as  to  their  first  duties  to  their  offspring.  Take,  for 
instance,  the  recent  testimony  of  a  physician  as  to  the 
improper  withholding  of  air  from  a  ^hild,  ai-d  be  it 
remembered,  the  picture  may  be  multiplied  to  almost 
any  extent.  Our  friend  remarks,  "  CJiildren  have  lungs P'' 
This  fact  is  either  not  known  to  the  parents,  or  very 
little  regarded.  The  first  thing  a  baby  wants  is  fresh  air, 
and  plenty  of  it.  From  the  moment  a  child  is  born,  it 
should  have  air  and  light ;  and  neither  be  shut  up  in  a 
dark  room  nor  have  its  head  covered  up  in  a  blanket. 
The  other  morning,  making  my  first  call  on  a  lady 
(42) 


DISEASES  OF    CHILDREN.  43 

with  an  infant,  I  saw  a  heap  of  blankets  lying  in  a  rock- 
ing-chair beside  the  bed,  but  there  was  no  baby  in  sight. 
When  I  inquired  for  the  newly-arrived,  the  nurse  came, 
and  after  taking  off  fold  after  fold,  there  at  last  was  the 
poor  little  half- smothered  babe,  gasping  for  breath. 
Mother  and  nurse  got  a  lecture  that  time. 

Eeturning  in  an  omnibus,  a  pretty  woman  got  in,  with 
her  baby  completely  enveloped  in  its  blankets.  Per- 
haps it  was  none  of  my  business ;  but  I  think  it  was. 
The  baby  had  as  good  a  right  to  breathe  and  have  the 
purest  air  to  be  had,  as  anybody  ;  and  as  there  was  no- 
body else  to  take  its  part,  I  did. 

"Madam,"  said  I,  "you  are  smothering  that  child." 

She  smiled  and  shook  her  head.  She  did  not  believe 
a  word  of  it. 

"  You  are  making  it  breathe  its  own  breath  over  and 
over  again ;  and  no  air  is  fit  to  breathe  but  once.  I  am  a 
physician,  and  can't  let  you  make  your  child  sick." 

She  uncovered  the  baby's  head.  It  took  a  long  breath 
— and  if  it  had  been  old  enough  to  talk,  and  been  up  in 
its  manners,  it  undoubtedly  would  have  said,  "Thank 
you,  Doctor!" 

In  many  cases  of  incipient  disease  of  the  brain,  fatally 
advancing  in  the  atmosphere  of  cities,  the  sea  air  will 
often  act  as  a  saving  charm,  and  prove  itself  the  breath 
of  life.  Little,  however,  will  avail  the  purest  breeze  of 
heaven  in  invigorating  the  enfeebled  infant,   unless  it 


44  DISEASES  OP   CHILDREN. 

enjoy  full  freedom  of  respiration.  The  temporal  salva- 
tion of  a  sickly  child  may  be  entirely  dependent  upon 
an  increasing  expansion  of  the  lungs.  That  expansion 
is  often  completely  prevented  by  the  hateful  bandages 
which  are  laced  round  the  contracted  chest  in  compli- 
ance .with  a  barbarous  fashion. 

The  feeble  infant  that  pines  away  in  dark,  damp  cham- 
bers, inhaling  the  foul  effluvia  from  drains  and  sewers, 
may  be  compared  with  the  faded  and  blighted  plant  that 
shares  its  confinement.  Look  on  the  sickly  geranium 
that  is  secluded  from  the  sunshine  and  the  air ;  how 
soon  it  ceases  to  put  forth  its  crimson  blossoms,  and 
bows  its  head,  and  like  a  dejected  being  prepares  to  die. 
The  earth  may  be  loosened,  and  watered,  and  manured ; 
the  "sear  and  yellow  leaf,"  or  withered  branch,  may  be 
daily  plucked  away,  but  all  in  vain ;  vain  are  the  doc- 
toring and  nursing  of  the  fondest  admirer ;  the  slow  decay 
creeps  on  from  leaf  to  leaf,  from  branch  to  branch  ;  the 
stem  itself  assumes  the  fatal  hue.  But  even  then,  when 
life  is  at  its  lowest  ebb,  transport  it  from  the  murky 
town  to  open  plains;  let  it  enjoy  the  unpolluted  air  and 
light  of  heaven,  and  the  progress  of  dissolution  is  at 
once  arrested  ;  leaf  after  leaf  display's  its  lively  green ; 
the  little  bud  peeps  forth,  slowly  and  timidly  blushing 
into  day ;  another  and  another  quickly  succeeds,  till  all 
the  blooming  tribe  start  into  life  and  revel  in  the  sun. 
Air  and  sun  will  effect  as  wonderful  a  change  in  the  state 


DISEASES    OF   CHILDREN.  45 

of  the  infant  as  in  that  of  the  declining  plant :  when  life  is 
almost  extinct  and  hope  extinguished,  transfer  it  from 
its  sepulchral  chambers  to  air  and  light,  and  at  once  the 
vital  spark  may  revive. 

It  scarcely  need  be  said  that  the  health  of  children  is 
best  promoted  by  exercise  and  reasonable  abstinence ; 
strong  children  must  have  strong  exercise,  or  suffer 
from  disease.  Let  their  diet  be  carefully  regulated,  and 
sometimes  restricted ;  animal  food  must  be  sparingly 
administered,  and  beer,  wine  and  s{)irits  be  prohibited 
as  dangerous  poisons.  Let  them  enjoy  every  opportu- 
nity of  active  exercise  in  the  open  air — in  the  air  of  the 
country  if  possible. 

A  physician  of  this  country,  in  paying  a  visit  to  Eng- 
land, discovered  what  many  have  known  before  him, 
that  we  have  much  to  learn  on  the  proper  treatment  of 
our  children.  Speaking  of  that  land,  he  says,  "  Pretty 
children  are  seen  in  abundance  everywhere — and  so 
nicely  kept  1  It  seems  to  us,  that  nobody  knows  so  well 
how  to  care  for  the  physique  of  children  as  the  English. 
They  feed  them  with  the  simplest  possible  food,  and  are 
astonished  when  they  hear  that  our  young  folks  share 
the  rich,  heavy,  high-seasoned  dishes  of  their  parents. 
Oatmeal  porridge  is  considered  a  suitable  breakfast  for 
infant  royalty  itself;  and  a  simple  dinner  at  one  o'clock, 
the  proper  thing  for  children  whose  parents  dine  sump- 


46  DISEASES    OF   CHILDEEN. 

tuously  at  seven.  Exercise  is  considered  one  of  the 
necessaries  of  life ;  and  a  daily  walk  or  ride — not  drive 
■ — in  the  fresh  air,  the  proper  form  of  it.  It  might  be 
superfluous  to  notice  any  thing  so  obvious,  if  it  were  not 
that  so  many  people  in  good  circumstances  with  us, 
neglect  this,  and  keep  their  children  immured  in  nurse- 
ries, or  cooped  up  in  school-rooms,  with  no  thought  of 
exercise  in  the  open  air  as  a  daily  requisite.  We  wish 
nothing  so  much  for  these  benighted  parents,  as  that 
they  should  once  become  acquainted  with  the  habits  and 
principles  of  a  well-ordered  English  nursery." 

A  very  few  general  directions  may  be  added  here  be- 
fore we  treat  of  the  special  diseases  of  childhood.  Under 
ordinary  circumstances,  let  the  child  drink  plentifully, 
and  continually  of  cold  or  lukewarm  liquids,  as  most 
agreeable  to  its  inclination.  Many  children  who  have 
been  reduced  to  mere  skeletons  by  improper  food  or  by 
perpetual  physicking,  have  recovered,  apparently  from 
drinking  freely,  sometimes  almost  incessantly,  cold 
water.  The  most  proper  liquid,  under  all  circumstan- 
ces, is  the  clear  water  of  the  spring,  flavored  or  not  with 
toasted  bread. 

When  the  child  is  merely  thirsty,  never  give  it  barley- 
water,  arrow-root  and  water,  linseed  tea,  or  other  muci- 
laginous drinks,  or,  worse  than  all,  milk,  or  milk  and 
water.     The   child   requires  liquids,  not  food ;    it  will 


DISEASES  OF   CHILDREN.  47 

swallow,  with,  eagerness  and  delight,  pure,  unadulterated 
water,  but  turns  away  in  disgust  from  all  such  nourish- 
ing drinks  In  critical  cases,  barley-water,  etc.,  is  ex- 
tremely injurious,  from  disordering  the  stomach  and 
bowels,  and  subsequently  increasing  the  fever. 

When  a  child  is  in  a  state  of  violent  fever,  let  it  fast 
till  the  violence  of  the  fever  subsides  :  not  a  particle  of 
food  should  be  administered. 

When  it  has  no  appetite,  beware  of  tempting  or  teaz- 
ing  it  to  eat ;  food  should  never  be  given  unless  there  is 
a  craving  for  it,  if  not  by  words,  yet  by  such  signs  as  a 
mother  can  understand.  All  niceties  and  dainties,  such 
as  currant-jelly,  cakes,  pastry  of  all  kinds,  sweetmeats, 
and  raw  fruits,  are  absolute  poison  to  a  child  whose  pow- 
ers of  digestion  are  for  the  time  completely  lost :  food, 
in  such  instances,  is  fuel  to  the  flame  that  feeds  on  life : 
to  complain  that  it  cannot  get  well  because  it  cannot 
take  nourishment,  is  as  rational  as  to  complain  that  we 
cannot  extinguish  a  fire  by  pouring  on  oil. 

Never  be  alarmed  or  impatient  because  a  child  refuses 
for  a  few  days  to  take  any  kind  of  nourishment ; 
children  in  a  state  of  fever  may  live  without  danger 
three  or  four  weeks,  without  taking  a  single  grain  of 
substantial  food. 

When  it  exhibits  the  symptoms  of  present  or  ap- 
proaching disease,  let  it  be  immediately  fed  for  a  day  or 
two  upon  {!parc  diet.    A  threatening  disease  will  often 


48  DISEASES   OF   CHILDREN. 

thus  be  averted,  or,  if  inevitable,  will  be  rendered  less 
violent 

By  spare  diet,  we  mean  such  things  as  are  derived 
from  the  vegetable  kingdom  ;  they  are  sufficient  to  sus- 
tain life,  but  not  to  aggravate  disease.  Arrow-root,  sago, 
or  rice,  boiled  with  water,  not  with  milk ;  captain's  bis- 
cuit ;  dry  toast  in  water ;  potatoes  now  and  then  as  a 
variety,  which  some  children  prefer  to  all  other  food — 
as  the  appetite  improves,  gradually  and  cautiously  pro- 
ceeding to  light  bread  puddings ;  light  rice  and  tapioca 
puddings  made  without  suet  or  fat,  and  boiled  or  baked 
apples  in  small  quantities. 

During  the  prevalence  of  fever,  we  recommend  only 
toast  and  fresh  spring  water,  with  or  without  a  sop  of 
toast  in  it,  or  a  toasted  captain's  biscuit ;  weak  tea,  of 
which  some  children  are  remarkably  fond ;  apple-tea ; 
the  juice  of  oranges  or  lemons,  plentifully  diluted  with 
water,  and  sweetened  with  a  little  lump  sugar  ;  cream  of 
tartar  dissolved  in  water  till  the  solution  becomes  as  sour 
as  weak  lemonade — to  this  cream  of  tartar  drink  may 
be  added  a  little  lump-sugar  and  lemon-peel.  When  the 
tongue  is  red  and  parched,  a  little  bicarbonate  of  soda 
dissolved  in  a  large  quantity  of  water,  say  in  the  pro- 
portion of  half  a  tea-spoonful  to  a  pint,  is  exceedingly 
useful  in  quenching  inordinate  thirst.  Barley  water,  ar- 
row-root and   water,  linseed  tea,  and  milk  and   water, 


DISEASES  OF  CIIILDREIC.  49 

though  often  recommended,  are  bad,  when  the  chief  ob- 
ject in  giving  them  is  to  quench  thirst. 

Never  be  persuaded  to  administer  stimulants,  such  as 
wine,  porter  or  spirits,  to  children  in  a  state  of  fever. 
A  teaspoonful  of  wine  will  act  as  fatally  in  some  instan- 
ces as  if  it  had  been  a  solution  of  arsenic.  The  fate  of 
a  sick  child  often  depends  on  the  events  of  a  moment ; 
while  the  uncertain  balance  of  its  fate  hangs  quivering 
and  trembling  between  Eternity  and  Time,  a  drop,  a 
grain,  injudiciously  administered,  may  turn  the  beam. 

Never  be  persuaded  by  the  nursery  oracle,  however 
venerable,  to  administer  such  things  to  a  child  as  are 
said  to  drive  out  eruptions ;  as  those  of  the  small-pox, 
measles,  or  scarlet  fever.  Saffron,  saffron  and  gin,  saf- 
fron and  brandy,  are  sometimes  prescribed,  and  often 
with  deadly  effect. 

Never  administer  composing  medicines  to  children, 
unless  from  medical  advice,  whether  such  medicines  be 
of  known  or  unknown  nature.  The  lightest  slumber 
induced  by  cordials,  stimulants  or  quack  medicines,  may 
prove  destructive.  IIow  often  may  be  seen  the  little 
spark  of  life  still  feebly  flickering  on  its  mortal  shrine, 
reluctant  yet  to  die;  in  tremulous  brightness  still 
sweetly  shining  on  distracted  hope ;  now  dimly  visible 
and  scarcely  seen,  now  faintly  struggling  through  retiring 
darkness,  burning  still — how  often  is  that  unextin- 
guished spark,  that  yet  might  live,  quenched  in  a  mo- 
ment by  "that  little  quantity  that  can  do  no  harm  1" 
5  D 


COMMON  FITS,  OE  CONVULSIONS. 


ITS   are  extremely  perilous — the  first  fit 
endangers  life,  the  second  may  destroy  it. 
^^^r*/^  /cr^^  When  a  child,  therefore,  is 

^^^)  attacked  with  one,  send 
instantly  for  a  medical 
man,  but  until  his  arrival  the  following  measures  should 
be  adopted: — The  clothes  must  be  loosened,  and  every 
bandage  untied ;  all  froth  must  be  wiped  from  the  mouth, 
and  the  mouth,  if  spasmodically  closed,  should  be  cau- 
tiously forced  open  if  it  can  be  effected  without  violence. 
The  feet  and  legs,  not  the  whole  body,  must  as  quickly 
as  possible  be  immersed  in  water,  sufficiently  hot  to  oc- 
casion a  slight  degree  of  pain.  If  the  face  be  flushed  and 
purpled  with  blood,  sprinkle  the  coldest  water  freely  upon 
it,  or  dip  a  cloth  in  the  water,  wring  it  sufficiently  dry  to 
prevent  it  dripping  on  the  body  of  the  child,  and  wrap  it 
loosely  round  the  forehead,  temples,  and  back  part  of  the 
head,  renewing  the  application  every  half  minute,  so  as 
to  keep  the  head  continually  cool;  or  pour  cold  water 
from  a  jug  slowly  and  gently  upon  the  child's  head,  the 
body  during  the  whole  of  these  proceedings  being  main- 
tained in  an  upright  position,  the  head  inclining  rather 
(50) 


DISEASES   OF   CHILDREN.  61 

forward.  Many  children  have  been  saved  by  bleeding  in 
the  jugular  vein.  This  must  of  course  be  entrusted  to  the 
medical  practitioner. 

By  all  means  let  the  understanding  of  parents  be  im- 
pressed with  the  importance  of  placing  implicit  confidence 
in  the  physician  they  may  consult,  and  of  exactly  obey- 
ing the  minutest  directions  he  may  give,  however  unim- 
portant they  may  appear.  The  most  judicious  measures, 
prompted  by  the  wisdom  of  the  best  experience,  approved 
by  the  soundest  judgment,  and  resolved  upon  after  the 
maturest  deliberation,  are  often  rendered  nugatory  by  the 
officious  interference  and  opposition  of  kind  conceited 
friends.  If  superanuated  and  talkative  acquaintances 
must  pronounce  their  opinions,  and  suggest  their  infallible 
nostrums,  let  the  parents  refer  them  to  the  medical  attend- 
ant, who  will  sufficiently  thank  them  for  their  valuable 
communications.  Be  it  ever  remembered  that  the  most 
ignorant  persons  are  generally  the  most  officious. 


THE  WHOOPING  COUGH. 

Its  symj)toms  are  so  well  known  as  scarcely  to  need  a 
description.  It  is  contagious;  and  generally  commences 
with  a  cold,  sometimes  attended  with  fever  and  discharge 
from  the  nose.     These  symptoms  often  continue  through- 


62 


DISEASES   OF   CHILDREN. 


out  the  disease,  which,  if  let  alone,  will  torment  the  little 
sufforer  for  a  hundred  days  or  more.  Every  one  knows 
that  the  disease  itself  is  a  convulsive  strangulating  cough, 
often  attended  with  bleeding  at  the  nose.  In  this  com- 
plaint the  patient  should  be  confined  to  food  easily 
digested,  kept  from  all  violent  exercise,  and,  if  possible, 
have  change  of  air.  The  remedies  are  almost  innumera- 
ble. A  most  excellent  one  is 
the  following: 

Take  a  large  tea-spoonful 

of  powdered  lobelia,  the  same 

quantity  of  bay  berry  bark, 

pounded  fine,  and  about  one 

third  of  the  same  quantity  of 

skunk  cabbage ;  put  these  into 

a  cup  of  warm  pennyroyal  tea, 

strain  it  through  a  cloth,  and 

sweeten  it.    A  large  spoonful 

of  this  should  be  given  every 

ten  minutes,  when  the  fit  is  on 

and  the  child  cannot  vomit. 

When  it  operates,  give  the 

patient  a  little  water-gruel. 

A  strengthening  plaster  kept  on  between  the  shoulders 

is  often  very  useful,  and  castor  oil,  whenever  needful, 

should  be  given  to  keep  the  bowels  moderately  open. 

We  have  often,  on  its  first  appearance,  simply  adminis- 


BKUNK  CABBAGE. 


DISEASES   OF   CHILDREN-.  53 

tered  a  very  gentle  emetic,  being  careful  to  keep  the 
bowels  open. 

A  careful  writer  says,  take  the  best  kind  of  coffee  pre- 
pared as  for  the  table,  and  give  it  as  a  common  drink  to 
the  child  as  warm  as  it  can  be  drank,  and  a  piece  of 
alum  to  suck  as  often  as  it  may  wish.  Most  children  are 
fond  of  alum,  and  will  get  all  they  need  without  being 
urged ;  but  if  they  dislike  it,  they  must  be  persuaded  to 
taste  of  it  eight  or  ten  times  in  the  course  of  the  day.  It 
will  effectually  break  up  the  worst  case  of  whooping 
cough  in  a  very  short  time.  To  adults  or  children  in  the 
habit  of  taking  coffee,  this  remedy  is  good  for  nothing. 

We  are  also  assured,  upon  practical  knowledge,  that  a 
very  great  relief  is  obtained  in  this  disease,  by  wearing 
about  the  neck  a  fresh  tarred  rope,  of  the  size  of  a  bed- 
cord,  covered  with  a  thin  ribbon.  The  aroma  of  the  tar 
has  a  wonderful  effect  in  quieting  the  cough,  and  pre- 
venting spasms — two  very  essential  items  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  disorder. 


CEOUP. 


Is  a  very  serious,  and  often  fatal  disease.     It  is  a  species 
of  asthma,  attended  with  acute  catarrh.     It  is  most  com- 
mon in  crowded   cities  where  air  is  deficient,  and  in 
5* 


54  DISEASES   OF   CniLDREN. 

marshy  districts,  where  the  air  is  impure.  It  often  seizes 
the  child  suddenly  in  the  night,  and  should  never  bo 
neglected,  even  for  an  hour.  Call  in  a  physician  as  soon 
as  possible,  who  will,  if  the  child  be  very  fat,  probably 
have  recourse  to  bleeding.  At  any  rate,  as  soon  as  the 
child  has  a  dry,  short,  cough,  with  wheezing,  and  a  rattling 
in  the  throat  when  asleep,  is  somewhat  cold  in  the  ex- 
tremities, the  countenance  pale,  the  skin  feverish,  and  the 
veins  in  the  neck  full  of  blood,  administer  an  emetic  by 
putting  six  grains  of  emetic  tartar  into  six  table-spoons- 
ful of  warm  water,  and  give  the  child  half  a  table-spoonful 
every  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  keeping  up  a  constant  vomit- 
ing for  several  hours.  With  as  little  delay  as  possible 
use  the  tepid  bath,  which  we  have  already  described,  and 
open  the  bowels  by  a  dose  of  castor  oil.  Apply  a  sponge 
or  flannel  dipped  in  hot  water  to  the  throat,  renewing  it 
every  few  minutes. 

By  this  time  we  hope  the  physician  may  have  arrived. 
If  not,  and  the  symptoms  have  not  abated,  but  have  in- 
creased in  their  power,  and  especially  if  vomiting  has  not 
come  on,  obtain  at  once  fifteen  grains  of  calomel,  and  six 
grains  of  ipecachuana,  mix  them,  and  give  a  child  six 
months  old,  one-third  of  it  every  fifteen  minutes  till  it 
acts  as  an  emetic.  If  the  child  be  older,  of  course  the 
dose  must  be  increased  in  proportion.  Keep  giving  this 
medicine  till  a  moisture  is  produced  on  the  skin,  and  the 
extremities  become  warm.     The  mucus  must  be  removed 


DISEASES  OF   CHILDREN.  55 

from  the  tTiront,  or  the  child  will  die.  The  old  people 
used  to  give  the  child  the  steam  of  warm  vinegar  to 
inhale,  and  place  mustard-plasters  between  the  shoulders. 
The  juice  of  a  lemon,  loaf-sugar,  and  slippery  elm,  made 
palatable  to  the  child,  have  been  known  to  give  relief; 
but  in  all  cases  of  obstinate  croup,  the  physician  should 
be  promptly  called  in. 

One  of  the  most  simple  and  efficacious  remedies  for 
croup  which  we  have  ever  seen  or  heard  of,  and  which 
has  been  largely  used  with  the  happiest  effects,  is  this  : — 
Mix  fine  powdered  sugar  in  enough  of  lard  to  make  a 
thick  paste.  As  soon  as  the  croup  appears,  give  half  a 
table-spoonful  every  fifteen  raiinutes  till  it  goes  off.  If 
vomiting  is  produced,  so  much  the  better.  Dr.  Goodman, 
of  Virginia,  also  tells  us  that  he  has  tested  the  efficacy 
of  administering,  in  the  first  stage  of  the  disease,  a  plaster 
made  by  greasing  a  piece  of  linen,  covering  it  with 
common  Scotch  snuff,  and  applying  it  to  the  patient's 
chest.  This  may  be  tried:  but  we  repeat,  in  a  violent 
case  of  croup  call  in  the  physician.  "We  need  not  say 
that  the  diet  must  be  light,  such  as  water  gruel,  rice- 
water,  and  perhaps  a  little  arrow- root. 


TEETHING. 

S  always  a  time  of  suflering  to  chil- 
dren, arising  from  different  causes. 
To  these  sufferings  we  must  briefly 
refer.  Dr.  Arbutlinot  tells  us  that 
more  than  a  tenth  part  of  the 
children  born,  die  in  teething  or  from  diseases  arising  from 
it,  and  therefore  much  care  is  called  for,  and  constant  atten- 
tion is  requisite  during  the  whole  process.  This  at- 
tention is  frequently  most  needed  in  the  cases  of  strong, 
fat  and  healthy  children,  as  they  are  most  liable  to  the  vio- 
lent fever  which  frequently  attends  dentition.  Though 
weakly  and  delicate  children  suffer  much  from  vomiting 
and  from  debility,  it  usually  happens  that  they  pass 
through  their  sufferings  more  safely  than  others.  It  will 
be  found  also  that  the  children  who  are  most  delicately 
brought  up  suffer  most  in  teething,  and  most  frequently 
are  distressed  by  dangerous  convulsions. 

The  symptoms  of  teething  are  too  well  known  to  need 
any  very  particular  description.  Sometimes  as  early  as 
the  fourth  month,  but  more  generally  about  the  sixth,  the 
child  begins  to  be  restless,  its  bowels  are  relaxed,  its 
gums  swell,  it  often  starts  with  pain  slavers  much 
(56) 


DISEASES   OF   CHILDREN. 


57 


about  its  mouth,  and  usually  puts  its  fingers,  to  rub 
its  gums.  Great  care  is  now  required.  The  bowels,  if 
tliey  should  be  costive,  must  be  gently  acted  on  by  syrup  of 
rhubarb,  senna,  manna  or  magne- 
sia; incessant  attention  must  be  paid 
to  cleanliness ;  and  the  food  must  be 
light,  easy  of  digestion,  and  given 
frequently  and  in  small  quantities ; 
and  the  drink  should  be  an  infusion 
of  catnip  flowers,  or  some  such  pre- 
paration, to  which  a  little  milk  may 
be  added.  If  there  should  be  great 
difficulty  in  breathing,  a  slight  em- 
etic should  be  given,  and  a  Bur- 
gundy pitch  plaster  should  be  kept 
between  the  shoulders ;  and  if  tha 
gums  are  greatly  swelled  and  irri- 
tated, a  physician  should  be  called 
in  to  lance  them. 


THRUSH. 

HIS  is  an  infantile  disease,  wIiicTi  de- 
^'  mands  prompt  attention  to  prevent  its 
being  fatal.  It  arises  from  the  morbid 
state  of  tlie  stomach,  and  appears  in 
white  ulcers  upon  the  tongue,  gums  and 
palate,  resembling  small  particles  of 
curdled  milk,  which  in  three  or  four 
days  become  yellow  and  soon  disappear ;  leaving,  however, 
the  skin  of  a  bright  red  color,  that  nurses  often  endea- 
vor to  correct  by  the  use  of  borax,  which,  however,  does 
not  remove  the  cause,  and  the  disease  soon  returns.  The  pa- 
tient under  this  disease  has  usually  a  pale  countenance,  a 
feeble  pulse,  and  cold  extremities.  It  is  irritable,  and  fre- 
quently disposed  to  vomit,  and  is  unable  to  take  its  proper 
food  in  sufficient  quantity  to  sustain  its  strength.  The  proper 
treatment  of  this  disease  is,  first  to  give  a  dose  of  rhubarb 
and  magnesia  to  correct  the  stomacb ;  then  make  a  wash. 
for  the  moutb  of  a  little  borax,  honey,  and  alum  mixed 
in  sage  tea,  and  with  a  rag  tied  to  a  stick  wash  the 
mouth  gently  two  or  three  times  a  day  while  the  disease 
remains.  A  tea  made  of  red  raspberry  leaves  has  often 
been  found  useful.  In  very  obstinate  cases,  where  other 
(58) 


DISEASES   OF   CHILDREN.  59 

means  have  failed,  every  ulcer  may  be  touched  once  or 
twice  a  day  with  a  preparation  of  ten  drops  of  muriatic 
acid  and  twenty  drops  of  rose-water  mixed  together. 
Special  care  must  be  taken  that  the  food  be  very  light, 
such  as  water-gruel,  Indian  meal,  and  a  little  milk. 


CHOLERA  INFANTUM. 

As  this  is  the  most  common  of  all  diseases  among  chil- 
dren in  this  country,  so,  if  it  is  neglected,  it  is  the  most 
fatal.  When  it  obtains  an  introduction  into  a  neighbor- 
hood, it  usually  prevails  far  and  wide,  and  demands  the 
skillful  attention  both  of  the  mother  and  the  physician. 
Perhaps  the  most  frequent  causes  of  the  disease  are  im- 
proper diet  and  clothing,  worms,  teething  and  premature 
weaning.  Its  symptoms  vary,  but  it  generally  comes  in 
the  form  of  simple  diarrhoea,  though  occasionally  it  is 
attended  with  vomiting.  The  region  of  the  stomach 
becomes  very  tender,  and  is  often  swelled ;  the  tongue  is 
white,  and  the  patient  is  thirsty;  the  skin  is  dry,  the 
feet  are  cold,  the  head  and  stomach  are  hot,  and  the  pulse 
quick.  The  eyes  usually  become  dull,  the  child's  sleep 
is  irritable,  and  its  conduct  when  awake  becomes  violent. 
We  may  add  that  the  least  irregular  motion  gives  it 
pain,  and  it  will  scream  on  being  scarcely  touched;  the 


60  DISEASES   OP   CHILDREN. 

gums    swell,    and   inflammation   is   almost   everywhere 
apparent. 

As  soon  as  any  number  of  these  symptoms  appear, 
promptly  administer  to  a  child  of  from  two  to  four  years 
from  four  to  eight  grains  of  ipecacuanha  in  warm  water, 
with  three  or  four  grains  of  calomel,  well  mixed.  Should 
the  looseness  of  the  bowels  continue  many  hours,  with 
a  dry  skin,  and  no  disposition  to  sleep,  give  the  child  a 
few  drops  of  ipecacuanha  wine  through  the  day  in  a  little 
warm  tea.  The  tepid  bath  should  be  used  once  or  twice 
a  day.  When  the  medicine  has  operated  on  the  bowels 
three  or  four  times,  give  about  fifteen  drops  of  paregoric, 
and  a  few  drops  of  ipecacuanha.  This  will  bring  a 
gentle  moisture  on  the  skin.  Should  the  child  be  teeth- 
ing when  it  takes  this  disease,  the  gums,  if  they  are 
swelled  and  inflamed,  must  be  lanced ;  and  if  the  vomit- 
ing should  be  very  violent,  administer  a  little  weak  lime- 
water  and  new  milk,  in  which  you  may  put  a  few  drops 
of  laudanum  or  paregoric ;  or  put  a  few  green  peach 
leaves  over  the  stomach  and  breast.  This  is  a  valuable 
application  for  stopping  bilious  vomiting.  In  the  event 
of  all  these  failing,  apply  a  blister  on  the  pit  of  the 
stomach,  or  over  the  whole  abdomen.  An  infant  seized 
with  Cholera  Infantum  should  live,  if  possible,  only  on 
its  mother's  milk;  but  if  this  cannot  be,  mix  a  little  gum 
arable  in  warm  milk  and  water,  and  give  a  spoonful  or 
two  at  a  time.  As  soon  as  the  patient  begins  to  recover, 
a  ride  in  the  open  air  will  be  serviceable. 


COLIC. 

HE  period  wben  children  are  most 
liable  to  colic  is  from  the  age  of 
cue  or  two  weeks  till  they  have 
cut  their  first  teeth.  It  shows  itself 
by  the  tension  or  enlargement  of 
the  stomach,  a  drawing  up  of  the 
knees  toward  the  stomach,  as  if  in  pain,  and  an  emission  of 
wind  from  the  stomach,  which  usually  for  a  short  time 
affords  relief.  It  is  frequently  attended  with  costiveness 
and  sometimes  by  vomiting.  It  arises  usually  from  wet 
feet,  or  from  the  use  of  improper  food,  and  is  almost  invari- 
ably attended  with  indigestion.  Taken  in  its  earliest  stages, 
it  is  seldom  difficult  to  cure,  but  is  exceedingly  debili- 
tating, and  if  neglected  becomes  dangerous.  We  have 
known  bilious  colic  to  remove  by  death  even  an  adult  in 
five  or  six  hours.  Convulsions  in  children  are  not  unfre- 
quently  caused  by  neglect  of  the  colic. 

Not  unfrequently  it  has  been  found  that  the  colic  of 
the  infant  has  arisen  from  the  state  of  its  mother's  sys- 
tem. In  all  such  cases  the  health  of  the  mother  and  her 
diet  should  be  promptly  attended  to.  Dr.  Dewees  states 
a  case  where  the  mother  had  suffered  from  toothache  for 
6  (61) 


62  DISEASES    OF   CHILDREN. 

some  months  before  her  infant  was  born,  and  continued 
to  suffer  for  six  months  after.  Her  infant  had  by  this 
time  become  so  emaciated  from  constant  colic,  that  it 
was  but  a  skeleton,  and  all  his  attempts  to  administer 
remedies  failed  till  the  mother's  tooth  was  extracted,  when 
the  child  became  fat  and  hearty.  To  effect  a  cure,  the  diet 
of  the  mother  and  the  child  must  be  strictly  attended  to. 

When  the  disease  overtakes  any  infant  of  two  weeks 
old,  twenty  drops  of  the  following  mixture  should  be 
given  it  every  fifteen  minutes  till  relieved :  viz.,  twenty 
grains  of  magnesia,  twenty  drops  of  laudanum,  one 
drachm  of  tincture  of  foetida  and  one  ounce  of  water, 
well  mixed  together.  Of  course  larger  dozes  must  be 
given  in  proportion  to  the  increase  of  the  child's  age.  A 
tea-spoonful  of  sweet  oil,  in  something  warm,  as  tea  or 
sweetened  water,  may  be  given  once  or  twice  a  day  to 
keep  the  bowels  open.  Be  careful  to  avoid  the  cruel 
shaking  of  the  child,  beating  its  back  as  it  lies  on  the 
mother's  lap,  as  also  giving  it  brandy  or  other  hot  things. 
All  these  increase  the  disease  rather  than  lessen  it. 

An  exceedingly  safe,  simple  and  ofttimes  effectual 
remedy  is  this.  Put  half  a  tea-spoonful  of  cayenne 
pepper,  with  a  little  sugar,  into  a  teacup,  and  fill  it  with 
hot  water.  When  sufficiently  cool,  begin  to  sip  it,  and 
by  the  time  it  is  all  gone,  or  in  the  course  of  an  hour, 
the  pain  should  be  entirely  removed. 

This  may  always  safely  be  given  on  the  first  attack, 


DISEASES   OF   CniLDEEN.  63 

followed  by  any  common  purgative  to  wbich  the  patient 
may  have  been  accustomed  ;  or  a  table-spoonful  of  cold- 
pressed  castor-oil  may  be  given,  and  a  fomentation  of 
hops  applied  to  the  bowels.  Or  the  warm  bath  may  be  taken. 
But  little  food  should  be  eaten,  and  that  should  be  easy 
of  digestion.  Gentle  exercise  should  be  used  when  the 
patient  begins  to  recover. 


HICCOUGH,  OR  HICKUPS. 

The  symptoms  of  this  troublesome  disease  need  no  de- 
scription. It  arises  from  flatulence,  debility,  the  use  of 
improper  food,  cold  drinks  when  the  person  is  warm, 
worms,  or  having  taken  poison.  It  is  a  spasmodic  affec- 
tion of  the  diaphragm,  and  perhaps  of  the  stomach.  Its 
remedies  are  numerous,  and  the  propriety  of  each  depends 
on  the  cause  from  which  the  disease  proceeds. 

If  from  poison,  immediate  resource  should  be  had  to  a 
tea-spoonful  or  two  of  common  flour- of-mustard,  mixed 
with  hot  water,  and  taken  as  an  emetic,  or  plentiful  doses 
of  castor-oil  and  milk  should  be  swallowed. 

When  it  proceeds  from  inflammation  of  the  stomach 
the  patient  should  be  bled,  and  cooling  drinks  should  be 
given,  or  a  frequent  administration  of  the  sweet  spirits 
of  nitre  in  a  cup  of  white-wine  whey.     The  patient's 


64  DISEASES   OF   CHILDREN. 

Stomach  should  be  almost  constantly  fomented  with  cloths 
dipped  in  hot  water,  or  a  bladder  of  hot  water  may  be 
thus  applied.  Or,  what  is  still  better,  hops  and  worm- 
wood, simmered  in  vinegar,  may  be  thus  used. 

When  the  hickup  proceeds  from  a  feeble  stomach  over- 
loaded with  food,  a  tea-spoonful  of  vinegar  has  often 
been  given  with  good  effect ;  or  a  few  drops  of  brandy 
or  gin  may  remove  it ;  or  ether  may  be  externally  applied 
to  the  stomach ;  and  the  hot  or  tepid  bath  may  do  great 
good.  A  glass  of  strong  cider  or  mineral  water  is  often 
very  useful.  A  sudden  alarm  has  frequently  removed 
the  affection  when  other  remedies  have  failed. 


DIAEEHCEA. 

Diarrhoea,  or  looseness  of  the  bowels,  is  not  always  a 
disease,  but  is  sometimes  an  effort  of  nature  to  throw  off 
feculent  matter,  which  would  impair  health,  even  if  it 
did  not  induce  dangerous  illness.  It  ought  not,  therefore, 
be  stopped  till  it  has  produced  decided  Vv'cakness  in  the 
patient. 

When  diarrhoea  has  been  caused  by  taking  cold,  or  an 
obstruction  of  perspiration,  it  is  most  important  to  keep 
tlie  patient  warm,  to  partake  freely  of  thin  gruel,  rice- 
water,  and  the  diluting  drinks;  to  take  the  tepid  bath, 


DISEASES  OF   CHILDEEN.  65 

especially  at  night,  going  from  the  bath  to  a  hot  bed,  to 
wear  flannel  next  the  skin,  and  to  employ  all  other 
methods  which  promote  perspiration. 

Children  under  two  years  of  age  are  very  liable  to  what 
is  called  feculent  diarrhoea;  arising  from  unsuitable  diet, 
damp  rooms,  the  sensibility  and  irritability  of  the  ali- 
mentary canal,  and  other  causes  of  a  kindred  character 
As  a  remedy  in  this  case,  take  one  drachm  of  magnesia, 
and  six  grains  of  powdered  mace;  for  a  child  of  four 
years  old  divide  this  into  six  powders,  and  give  one  in  a 
little  sweetened  water  every  six  hours,  till  they  freely 
operate.  If  the  color  and  smell  of  the  discharges  are  not 
changed,  take  twenty  grains  of  magnesia,  twelve  grains 
of  powdered  rhubarb,  and  three  grains  of  powdered  mace; 
mix  and  then  divide  them  into  six  powders,  and  give  one 
every  four  hours.  These  powders  will  certainly  destroy 
the  acid  on  the  stomach;  and  if  they  do  not  stop  the  dis- 
charge, take  twelve  grains  of  calomel,  and  give  one-sixth 
part  of  it  every  two  hours,  in  a  few  drops  of  simple 
syrup  until  they  operate  freely.  They  ought  to  produce 
a  green  or  dark  discharge,  with  little  or  no  smell. 

Where  the  disease  is  produced  by  acid  on  the  stomach, 
without  any  other  apparent  cause,  take  a  teaspoonful  of 
saleratus,  another  of  peppermint  or  spearmint,  finely 
pulverized,  a  teaspoonful  of  the  best  Turkey  rhubarb, 
and,  with  some  loaf-sugar,  put  the  whole  into  a  pint  of 
boiling  water  with  a  few  spoonsful  of  ardent  spirits,  if  it 
6*  E 


66 


DISEASES  OF  CHILDREN. 


be  at  hand.  Administer  according  to  age:  say  two  tea- 
spoonsful  for  an  infant,  or  half  a  wine-glassful  for  an 
adult,  every  hour,  till  it  produces  a  change  in  the  dis- 
charge. 

If  the  disease  be  occasioned  by  excess  in  eating  or 
drinking,  the  proper  medicine  is  an  emetic.     Emetics  not 

only  cleanse  the  stomach, 
but  promote  all  the  se- 
cretions, which  make 
them  of  great  value. 
Half  a  drachm  of  ipecac- 
uanha, in  powder,  will 
answer  the  purpose  we 
wish  for.  A  day  or  two 
after  the  emetic,  the  same 
quantity  of  rhubarb  may 
be  taken,  and  repeated 
if  the  discharge  con- 
tinues. 

A  diarrhoea  arising 
BPEABMnrr.  ^om  violent  passions 

must  be  treated  with 
extreme  caution.  Neither  emetics  nor  purgatives  should 
be  given.  Ten  or  twelve  drops  of  liquid  laudanum 
should  be  taken  every  ten  or  twelve  hours  in  a  cup  of 
valerian,  or  pennyroyal  tea,  till  the  symptoms  abate; 
and  especially  must  the  mind  be  kept  at  ease. 


DISEASES   OF   CHILDRE5T.  67 

If  diarrhoea  in  children  arises  from  worms,  which  may 
be  known  from  the  sliminess  of  the  discharges,  especially 
if  mixed  with  pieces  of  decayed  worms,  purge  with  rhu- 
barb and  calomel,  as  already  advised,  and  afterward  take 
lime-water  with  a  little  rhubarb,  to  strengthen  the  bowels. 

We  have  been  particular  in  describing  the  various 
species  into  which  physicians  have  classed  diarrhoea,  but 
we  think  that,  generally  speaking,  the  disease  will  be 
found  in  its  most  simple  forms,  and  will  therefore  need  the 
simplest  remedies.  The  use  of  the  common  blackberries 
known  and  loved  by  nearly  all  the  children  who  reside 
in  the  country,  has  in  various  forms  been  most  strongly 
recommended,  and  we  can  testify  to  its  value  in  very 
many  instances.  One  writer  thus  recommends  the  prepa- 
ration of  a  medicine  which  would  be  readily  taken  by 
many  who  are  not  suffering  from  this  complaint : — 

To  half  a  bushel  of  blackberries,  well  mashed,  add  a 
quarter  of  a  pound  of  allspice,  two  ounces  of  cinnamon, 
and  three  ounces  of  cloves.  Pulverize  well,  mix,  and  boil 
slowly  until  properly  done.  Then  strain  or  squeeze  the 
juice  through  homespun  or  flannel,  and  add  to  each  pint 
of  the  juice  one  pound  of  loaf-sugar.  Boil  again  for 
some  time ;  take  it  off,  and  while  cooling  add  half  a  gal- 
lon of  the  best  Cognac  brandy.  Dose :  for  an  adult,  half 
a  gill;  for  a  child,  a  teaspoonful  or  more,  according  to 
age. 

Always  in  cases  of  diarrhoea  use  the  lightest  food,  with 


68  DISEASES    OF   CHILDREN. 

diluting  drinks.  Abstain  for  the  time  being  from  fruUs, 
especially  those  which  are  unripe.  "We  may  here  except 
the  peach,  which,  when  fresh  and  mellow,  is  not  only 
very  palatable  but  has  a  salutary  effect  upon  the  disease. 
In  cases  of  long  standing,  this  delicious  and  nourishing 
fruit  is  often  prescribed  for  the  complaint. 


COSTIYENESS,  OE  CONSTIPATION. 

In  many  respects  this  disease  is  the  very  opposite  of 
diarrhoea,  and  yet,  in  not  a  few  cases,  the  causes  are  the 
same.  "We  need  not  describe  its  symptoms;  neither  need 
we  remind  the  intelligent  reader  that  neglect  in  this  case 
may  lead  on  to  convulsions,  or  to  inflammation,  which  may 
prove  fatal,  As  a  preventive  from  costiveness  there 
should  be  regular  open-air  exercise,  a  due  regard  to 
clothing,  especially  guarding  against  too  much  of  it,  ab- 
stinence from  all  heating  drinks,  more  particularly  brandy 
and  port  wine ;  the  food  also  should  be  light ;  abstain,  if 
possible,  from  the  usually  so  much  extolled  fine  bread,  and 
use  the  common  brown  bread,  which  has  been  baked  07ie  or 
two  days.  Baked  apples  in  milk,  and  indeed  almost  all 
kinds  of  ripe  fruit  are  good  in  this  case ;  aJid  for  drink  take 
buttermilk,  whey,  and  rice  or  apple- water.  Dr.  Arbuth- 
not  recommends  the  use  of  butter,  cream,  honey,  and  the 


DISEASES    OF   CHILDREN.  69 

soup  or  broth  made  of  the  internal  parts  of  animals,  such 
as  the  liver,  heart,  and  midriff. 

One  of  the  best  remedies  for  constipation  is  regularly 
visiting  the  privy,  say  early  every  morning,  even  when 
nature  does  not  seem  to  call  for  it;  the  habit  will  soon 
be  formed  by  which  relief  will  be  obtained,  A  due  re- 
gard to  these  rules  will  often  be  sufficient,  either  for 
children  or  adults,  but  if  medicine  must  be  used,  let  it  be 
of  the  mildest  kind,  such  as  magnesia  and  Epsom  salts 
in  equal  quantities,  powdered  very  fine,  of  which  the 
child  may  take  a  teaspoonful  every  morning  in  a  glass 
of  water.  In  the  case  of  infants,  it  is  often  better  that 
the  mother  should  take  medicine  than  the  child. 


VOMITING. 

Vomiting  on  the  part  of  children  does  not  always  in- 
dicate disease.  The  most  healthy  infants,  if  they  happen 
to  take  more  food  or  drink  than  is  necessary,  will  often, 
even  without  pain,  thus  relieve  their  stomachs.  Where 
this  is  done,  and  especially  if  sleep  follows,  no  further 
concern  need  be  felt.  But  if  there  be  paleness  on  the 
cheek,  a  sour  breath,  inanimate  eyes,  and  an  indisposition 
to  take  the  mother's  breast,  place  the  child  in  a  warm 
bath,  and  rub  the  pit  of  the  stomach  with  a  little  lauda- 


70  DISEASES    OF   CHILDREN. 

num.  To  one  of  a  year  or  more  old,  give  two  or  three 
grains  of  ipecacuanha  in  a  little  warm  sweetened  water; 
or,  if  it  be  preferred,  a  cup  of  spearmint  or  peppermint 
tea,  will  often  bring  relief;  or  a  tea  made  of  the  leaves 
of  the  peach  tree  may  be  tried  with  success;  or  even  a 
little  cold  water,  commencing  with  a  teaspoonful,  and 
gradually  increasing  the  quantity,  has  stopped  the  vomit- 
ins  of  a  child. 


WOEMS. 

"Were  we  influenced  by  any  other  motive  than  that  of 
telling,  in  the  plainest  manner,  what  may  be  the  ailments 
of  the  reader,  and  what  their  best  remedies,  we  might  on 
this  subject  become  profoundly  learned  and  philosophical, 
by  describing  the  whole  sixteen  kinds  of  worms  which 
distress  the  human  family.  As  we  are  more  anxious, 
however,  to  benefit  our  patrons  than  to  display  our  eru- 
dition, we  will  omit  all  that  and  simply  tell  how  to  get 
rid  of  them. 

Climate,  unwholesome  food,  and  feeble  digestive  powers, 
seem  to  be  the  most  frequent  causes  of  this  disease,  gene- 
rally found  in  children,  but  by  no  means  uncommon  in 
adults.  It  has  been  said  that  few  infants  have  worms 
till  they  are  weaned,  which  may  be  accounted  for  on  the 


DISEASES  OF  CHILDREN. 


principle  that  the  bowels  are  in  better  order  while  the 
child  is  at  the  breast  than  when  the  diet  is  more  various 
and  indigestible. 

The  most  common  symptoms  of  worms  are  pain  and 
flatulence  of  the  stomach,  fetid  breath,  griping  of  the 
bowels,  frequent  hunger,  yet  deriving  little  nourishment 
from  food ;  an  almost  con- 
stant cough,  itching  at  the 
nose,  restless  sleep,  ana  un- 
pleasant dreams.  Not  un- 
frequently  the  child  has  a 
slow  fever,  and  many  are 
often  thrown  by  worms 
into  convulsions. 

The  remedies  for  worms 
are  plentiful  as  black- 
berries, so  that  we  seldom 
meet  with  an  old  lady  who 
has  passed  through  the 
world  with  her  eyes  open 
without  learning  of  some 

TAJTST. 

infallible  one  of  which  we 

have  not  before  heard.  We  shall,  therefore,  only  give 
a  very  few  prescriptions,  altogether  avoiding  calon^il, 
which  we  are  disposed  to  leave  pretty  much  in  the  hands 
of  physicians. 

By  many,  external  applications  are  greatly  preferred. 


72  DISEASES   OF  CHILDREN. 

Dr.  Cloquet,  an  eminent  French  physician,  says  that  he 
has  seen  the  long  worm,  which  is  the  one  to  which  child- 
ren are  most  subject,  evacuated  after  the  abdomen  had 
been  rubbed  with  a  mixture  of  ox-gall  and  common  soap; 
oil  of  tansy  or  of  camomile,  mixed  with  spirits  in  which 
camphor  has  been  dissolved,  has  been  useful ;  so  has  a 
liniment  made  of  equal  parts  of  beef's  gall,  aloes,  and 
fresh  butter,  rubbed  on  the  abdomen  every  night. 

But  for  an  internal  disease  an  internal  remedy  is  usually 
the  most  appropriate.  Dr.  Grimes,  of  Savannah,  strongly 
recommended  the  bark  of  the  Pride  of  China,  made  into 
tea,  and  as  much  of  it  taken  during  the  day  as  the  child 
could  bear  without  producing  vomiting,  purging,  or  de- 
bility of  the  limbs.  Dr. Buchan  recommends,  for  an  adult, 
an  ounce  of  salad  oil,  and  a  table-spoonful  of  common 
salt,  to  be  taken  three  times  a  day ;  and  says  that  many 
practitioners  give  flour-of-sulphur  in  large  doses,  made 
into  an  electuary  with  honey  or  molasses,  and  taken  in 
such  quantity  as  to  purge  the  patient. 

As  we  ought  not  to  prescribe  for  worms  in  our  children 
or  ourselves  till  we  are  satisfied  of  their  existence^  so  when 
we  have  expelled  them,  we  should  guard  against  having 
them  again.  Use  then  pure  air,  plain  digestible  food, 
open-air  exercise,  and  whatever  helps  to  strengthen  the 
system.  The  ripe  fruits  of  autumn  will  tend  to  keep 
open  the  bowels,  and  it  would  be  well  occasionally  to 
give  the  child  half  a  tea-spoonful  of  powdered  charcoal 


DISEASES   OF   CHILDREN  73 

ill  new  milk;  or,  as  Dr.  E well  recommends,  a  little  tinc- 
ture of  steel  with  bitters  three  times  a  day. 


EICKETS. 

Eickets  will  not  be  found  in  this  country  so  frequently 
as  in  some  others,  where  mothers  have  less  regard  to 
cleanliness  and  proper  food  and  exercise.  The  disease, 
slow  in  its  progress,  usually  shows  itself  in  an  enlarge- 
ment of  the  head,  especially  in  the  undue  prominence  of 
the  forehead;  the  backbone  becomes  crooked,  the  ribs 
are  depressed,  and  the  joints  become  large  and  spongy. 
We  have  seen  children  in  Europe  suffering  from  this 
disease  even  for  years,  unable  to  walk,  presenting  a  sul- 
phury color  on  the  cheeks  instead  of  being  red,  and 
frightfully  premature  in  the  activity  of  their  minds.  Some 
of  the  most  brilliant  men  have  become  hump-backed  by 
rickets.  Such  were  Esop,  the  author  of  the  "Fables," 
and  Wilberforce,  the  philanthropist. 

Gentle  exercise,  pure  air,  and  nutritious  diet,  will  do 
far  more  in  these  cases  than  medicine;  though  medical 
remedies  must  not  be  neglected.  The  child  should  be 
placed  in  the  tepid  bath  with  salt  in  the  water,  after 
which  it  should  be  wrapt  up  in  warm  blankets,  and  warm 
tea  may  be  given  it  to  as  great  an  extent  as  it  may  wish. 
7 


74  DISEASES   OF   CHILDREN, 

A  tonic  medicine,  composed  of  twenty  grains  of  carbonate 
of  iron  and  ten  grains  of  the  sub-carbonate  of  soda,  may 
also  be  given ;  these  should  be  mixed  and  divided  into 
twenty  powders.  To  a  child  a  year  old,  give  one  of  these 
every  morning,  noon,  and  night,  in  a  little  sugar  or  jelly. 
If  the  appetite  fail,  and  the  stomach  become  sour,  take 
ten  grains  of  ipecacuanha,  dissolve  it  in  a  small  tea-cup- 
ful of  water,  and  give  a  small  tea-spoonful  every  fifteen 
minutes  till  the  child  vomits  freely. 


SCALLED  HEAD. 

Most  diseases  of  the  skin  arise  from  inflammation. 
Scalled  head  is  not  an  exception,  and  requires  much  the 
same  treatment  as  inflammation  of  any  of  the  other  struc- 
tures of  the  body,  for  it  arises  almost  invariably  from  the 
same  predisposing  cause,  namely,  derangement  of  the 
healthful  functions  of  the  stomach  and  bowels.  Patients 
with  scalled  heads  have  always  unhealthy-looking  tongues. 
Children  affected  with  diseases  of  the  scalp  are  generally 
thirsty,  and  continual  thirst  is  the  craving  of  a  diseased 
stomach.  Diseases  of  the  skin,  especially  of  the  scalp, 
are  often  produced  by  improper  or  insufficient  food ;  and 
even  if  evidently  caused  by  contagion,  are  rendered 
tedious  or  difficult  to  cure,  by  a  sickly  and  torpid  con- 


DISEASES   OF   CHILDEEN.  75 

dition  of  the  whole  system;  ringworm,  for  instance,  is 
highly  contagious,  but  the  duration  of  ringworm  beyond 
four  or  five  weeks  evinces  an  ignorance  of  the  appro- 
priate treatment.  It  would  be  as  rational  to  expect  to 
cure  scalled  head  by  ointments  and  lotions,  as  to  cure  a 
man  of  the  gout  by  bathing  his  great  toe  with  a  bottle 
of  his  wife's  hair-oil. 

The  symptoms  of  this  infectious  disease  are,  that  the 
skin  of  the  head  is  covered  with  small  sores,  which  dis- 
charge very  offensive  matter.  These  sores  turn  to  scales 
or  scabs,  while  fresh  ones  continue  to  break  out  at  the 
roots  of  the  hair.  The  disease  is  attended  with  con- 
siderable itching. 

In  treating  scalled  head,  as  in  treating  all  other  con- 
stitutional diseases,  every  endeavor  should  be  directed 
to  lessen  the  determination  of  the  blood  to  the  diseased 
part,  by  keeping  the  extremities  sufficiently  warm  by 
proper  clothing;  to  allay  irritation  by  soothing  applica- 
tions to  the  diseased  surface ;  and  above  all,  which  in 
difficult  cases  constitutes  the  great  difficulty,  to  subdue 
the  constitutional  disorder  from  which  almost  all  these 
external  diseases  arise.  When  not  obviously  occasioned 
by  external  violence  or  injury,  such  diseases,  though  acci- 
dentally and  mechanically  produced,  are  rendered  in- 
tractable and  frequently  incurable. 

In  treating  this  eruption  of  the  scalp,  the  scab  must  be 
removed.     First  of  all  let  every  hair  be  cut  off;  then  let 


76  DISEASES   OF  CHILDREN. 

the  scab  be  covered  with  a  carefully- made  bread-and- 
water  or  linseed  poultice,  which  should  be  kept  on  day 
and  night  till  the  incrustation  be  removed;  now  and  then, 
when  the  poultice  is  changed,  rubbing  a  little  lard  or 
fresh  butter  on  the  scab.  The  tendei  nurse  will,  with  a 
comb,  or  some  similar  article,  remove  the  looser  portions, 
and  cut  away  the  growing  hair,  till  the  red,  shining,  or 
ulcerated  skin  is  brought  fully  out  to  view. 

With  the  slightest  attention  the  incrustation  can  be 
removed  as  fast  as  it  accumulates,  and  every  third  or 
fourth  day  the  operation  of  shaving  should  be  repeated. 
Every  morning  the  exposed  and  diseased  surface  should 
be  gently  cleansed  with  tepid  soap  and  water,  the  soap 
being  immediately  afterward  thoroughly  washed  off  with 
clear  tepid  water ;  the  part  must  then  be  dried,  not  by 
rubbing  till  the  inflammation  and  redness  are  rendered 
ten  times  more  vivid,  but  by  the  gentle  and  repeated 
pressure  of  a  soft  linen  rag.  When  the  surface  is  quite 
dry,  then  apply  the  chosen  ointment  or  lotion,  and  im- 
mediately, if  any  particle  of  matter  becomes  too  adherent 
to  the  scalp  to  be  removed  by  merely  washing  it,  apply 
above  it  a  bread-and- water  poultice. 

Some  persons  think  highly  of  frequent  ablutions  with 
soap  and  water,  especially  with  yellow  soap:  soap  is  no 
specific,  and,  if  used  too  frequently,  increases  irritation 
and  prolongs  the  disease.     Oil-skin  caps  and  silk  caps 


DISEASES   OF  CHILDREN'.  77 

are  generany  improper — linen  caps  are  preferable ;  ex- 
posure to  the  air  is  sometimes  beneficial. 

To  the  treatment  of  most  of  the  diseases  of  the  skin 
will  apply  the  favorite  direction  of  the  late  Dr.  Aberneth  j, 
"  Cleanse,  dry,  and  anoint."  In  their  management,  it 
should  be  remembered  that  it  is  much  safer  to  soothe 
than  to  irritate ;  the  feelings  and  inclinations  of  children 
often  indicate  the  appropriate  remedy,  though  the  chief 
wisdom  in  their  management  seems,  in  the  estimation  ot 
many  persons,  to  consist  in  opposing  nature.  Thus  the 
infant  is  compelled  to  swallow  when  it  feels  inclined  to 
fast,  and  is  restrained  from  drinking,  though  the  parched 
tongue  and  withered  lip  cleave  together  for  want  of 
moisture,  and  the  blood-shot  eyes  gaze  on  the  untasted 
liquid  with  an  unspeakable  longing ;  and,  even  by  those 
who  love  it,  is  often  tortured  with  stupid  and  callous  in- 
difference, when  common  sense  and  common  humanity 
alike  suggest  the  simple  injunction,  give  iw  pain. 

For  this  disease  an  able  physician  recommends  four 
ounces  of  Spanish  sarsaparilla,  cut  fine,  and  on  one-twelfth 
part  of  it  pour  a  pint  of  boiling  water,  and  let  it  stand 
some  hours ;  having  poured  off  the  liquor,  add  an  ounce 
of  white  sugar,  two  or  three  thin  slices  of  lemon,  or 
twenty  grains  of  salts  of  lemon.  Give  this  quantity  to  a 
child  of  seven  years  of  age,  in  doses,  during  the  day,  and 
more  or  less  in  proportion  to  age. 

Another  recommends  an  ointment  made  of  two  table- 
7* 


78 


DISEASES   OF   CHILDREN. 


spoonsful  of  tar,  and  a  sufficient  quantity  of  suet  or  lard 
to  make  an  ointment;  add  to  these  a  table-spoonful  of 
powdered  charcoal,  and  two  tea-spoonsful  of  flour  of 
sulphur ;  make  them  into  an  ointment,  spread  it  on  a 

bladder,  and  wear  it 
as  a  cap,  changing  it 
whenever  it  becomes 
dry.  In  all  cases  the 
bowels  must  be  kept 
gently  open  by  Epsom 
salts,  or  syrup  of  rhu- 
barb; or  a  little  cream 
of  tartar  and  sulphur 
mixed  wdth  molasses. 
Another  remedy  has 
been  very  highly  com- 
mended. Of  the  ashes 
of  tobacco,  green 
grape-vine,  and  green 
alder,  of  each  a  table- 
spoonful.  Add  to 
these  an  ounce  of  hog's 
lard  and  an  ounce  of  tar.  Poke-root,  burdock-root,  and 
sumach-berries,  of  each  two  ounces.  Beat  them  together 
with  half  a  pint  of  sweet  oil,  simmer  them  over  the  fire, 
pouring  in  a  gill  of  the  spirits  of  turpentine  while  yet 
warm.     Use  this  ointment  as  already  recommended  on  a 


POKE,  SEOKE,  OABGET,  OB  COAKITM. 


DISEASES   OF   CHILDREN.  79 

bladder,  washing  the  head  every  second  day  with  Castile 
soap,  when  you  renew  the  ointment. 

Strong  tar  water,  with  which  the  diseased  part  is  to  be 
bathed,  is  also  strongly  recommended. 


EINGWOEM. 

This  disease,  formerly  called  tetter,  is  an  eruption  which 
attacks  various  parts  of  the  skin,  in  a  circle,  and  is  often 
taken  by  one  child  from  another  with  whom  it  has  been 
in  contact.  The  small  red  pimples  contain  a  thin  acrid 
fluid ;  when  the  body  is  heated  by  exercise,  these  pimples 
are  seized  with  an  intolerable  itching,  and  they  often  thus 
spread  over  a  considerable  extent  of  the  body.  The  skin 
assumes  a  leprous  appearance,  and  the  poor  patient  enjoys 
not  a  moment's  ease. 

If  the  bowels  be  in  a  natural  state,  it  is  seldom  that 
internal  medicine  is  needed  for  the  ringworm.  Make  an 
ointment  of  two  parts  of  common  tar,  two  parts  of  mutton 
suet,  and  one  part  of  flour  of  sulphur,  and  simmer  them 
together;  spread  the  ointment  on  a  piece  of  linen  or 
cotton-cloth,  and  put  it  on  during  every  night.  Bathe 
the  part  frequently  in  the  day-time  with  a  decoction  of 
yellow  dock. 

Soft  soap  and  powdered  ginger  made  into  an  ointment 


80  DISEASES   OF   CHILDREN". 

lias  often  been  used  with  success.  So  also  lias  common 
soot,  with  the  addition  of  sufficient  lard  to  make  it  into 
an  ointment,  frequently  applied.  Blood-root  steeped  in 
vinegar,  and  used  as  a  wash,  has  effected  many  cures. 
"We  consider  this  among  the  best  of  all  remedies.  The 
parts  affected  should  be  washed  three  times  a  day  with 
Castile  soap.  If  the  disease  be  inveterate,  internal  reme- 
dies must  be  taken,  such  as  lime-water  or  flour  of  sulphur. 

There  are  several  other  diseases  ot  the  skin,  which  may 
be  briefly  referred  to  in  this  connection.  Before  we  pro- 
ceed, however,  it  may  be  well  to  make  a  few  general 
remarks  on  this  class  of  evils. 

Probably  almost  every  eruption  on  the  skin  arises  from 
the  impure  state  of  the  stomach ;  and  by  cleansing  that, 
we  remove  the  cause  as  well  as  the  effects.  The  very 
first  inquiries  then,  in  the  event  of  such  an  eruption, 
should  relate  to  the  state  of  the  stomach  and  bowels. 
This  is  often  more  important  than  any  external  applica- 
tion whatever.  In  the  great  majority  of  cases  it  will  be 
found  necessary  to  open  the  bowels,  and  keep  them  in  a 
lax  condition  by  cooling  medicines.  For  this  purpose 
many  prescriptions  may  be  found  in  this  volume.  If  the 
stomach  be  out  of  order,  take  a  gentle  emetic,  which  greatly 
assists  nature  in  throwing  the  whole  disease  out  on  the 
skin.  Under  these  circumstances,  tea  made  of  sarsapa- 
rilla,  or  what  is  most  frequently  substituted  in  its  place, 


DISEASES  OF  CHILDREN.  81 

sassafras,  should  be  used  as  a  common  drink.  In  all 
kinds  of  eruptions  common  starch,  rubbed  on  the  skin, 
is  a  cooling  and  pleasant  remedy;  and  the  application  of 
it  when  going  to  bed  will  afford  much  relief  from  itching, 
and  consequently  give  refreshing  sleep.  Where  starch 
cannot  be  obtained,  a  little  common  wheaten  flour  will 
answer  the  same  purpose.  In  all  such  cases  frequently 
use  the  tepid  bath,  abstain  from  strong  drinks,  eat  light 
food,  and  use  cooling  drinks. 

Speaking  of  such  eruptions,  we  first  mention — 


CHILBLAINS. 

Description  is  scarcely  necessary.  Though  most  com- 
mon to  children,  they  are  known  at  almost  all  stages  of 
life,  but  seldom  trouble  us  except  in  cold  weather;  in- 
deed, they  are  usually  caused  by  suddenly  exposing  a 
cold  part  of  the  body  to  the  fire,  or  a  heated  part  to  in- 
tense cold.  Children  themselves  know  that  they  have 
had  to  complain  of  chilblains  when  they  have  endured 
great  cold,  and  instead  of  taking  strong  exercise  to  warm 
themselves  gradually,  they  have  run  to  the  fire,  and  the 
sudden  change  has  produced  the  disease. 

When  a  person  is  troubled  with  chilblains,  which 
usually  seize  the  feet,  heels,  or  toes,  and  which  present 

F 


82  DISEASES  OF   CHILDREN. 

red  inflammatory  swellings  or  small  boils,  it  is  important 
at  once  to  use  the  tepid  foot-bath  ;  we  have  known  the  nse 
of  warm  water  in  which  turnips  have  been  boiled,  ana 
the  boiled  turnips  themselves  used  as  a  poultice,  cure 
the  disease  in  a  few  hours.  Warm  ashes  between  cloths 
applied  to  the  parts  affected,  frequently  help  to  reduce 
the  swelling  and  inflammation ;  or  the  diseased  parts  may 
be  frequently  rubbed  with  mustard  and  brandy.  Others 
have  recommended  plunging  the  parts  affected  into  the 
coldest  water,  or  rubbing  them  with  snow.  Warm 
weather  usually  removes  all  complaints  of  this  character. 

If  the  disease  appears  in  the  hands,  it  usually  takes  the 
name  of  chapped  hands,  and  for  this  a  good  ointment  may 
be  made  of  one  ounce  of  pure  olive  oil,  and  half  a  drachm 
of  yellow  bees- wax  melted  with  a  very  gentle  heat  in  the 
oil,  to  which  should  be  added  one  drachm  of  new  honey, 
and  half  a  drachm  of  white  flowers  of  zinc,  all  of  which 
should  be  well  stirred  together  till  cold.  Wash  and  dry 
the  hands,  and  at  bed-time,  while  sitting  by  the  fire,  well 
rub  in  some  of  this  ointment,  and  wipe  carefully  with  a 
dry  towel.  The  rubbing  should  be  always  continued  till 
the  chapped  skin  is  quite  warm,  unless  it  should  cause 
bleeding. 

As  some  kinds  of  medicines  can  often  be  obtained 
more  readily  than  others,  and  as  not  a  few  persons  very 
properly  form  a  judgment  as  to  remedies  proposed  for 
their  use,  we  will  here  add  three  other  prescriptions  for 
chapped  hands. 


DISEASES  OF   CHILDREN.  83 

Scrape  into  an  earthen  vessel  one  and  a  half  ounces  of 
spermaceti,  half  an  ounce  of  white-wax,  six  drachms  of 
powdered  camphor,  and  four  table-spoonsful  of  the  best 
olive  oil.  Let  it  stand  near  the  fire  until  it  dissolves, 
stirring  it  well  when  liquid.  Before  retiring  to  bed,  put 
the  ointment  on  the  hands;  also  before  washing  them; 
use  soap  as  usual. 

Mr.  A.  Bronson,  of  Meadville,  Pa.,  says,  from  fifteen 
years'  experience,  he  finds  that  Indian  meal  poultice, 
covered  with  young  Hyson  tea,  softened  with  hot  water, 
and  laid  over  the  frozen  flesh,  as  hot  as  it  can  be  borne, 
will  relieve  the  pain  in  five  minutes.  If  blisters  have 
not  arisen  before,  they  will  not  after  it  is  put  on.  One 
poultice  is  generally  sufficient  to  effect  a  cure. 

Another  good  and  simple  remedy  for  chapped  hands 
is,  to  wash  them  in  water  slightly  acidulated  with  vinegar 
or  lemon  juice;  or  wash  them  in  milk. 


THE  ITCH. 

This  is  a  contagious  eruption  of  small  watery  pustules 
or  pimples,  which  first  show  themselves  between  the 
fingers  and  on  the  wrists,  but  sometimes  spread  over  the 
whole  body  except  the  face.  It  is  accompanied  with 
tormenting  itching,  especially  after  strong  exercise,  and 


84 


DISEASES   OF  CHILDREN. 


when  warm  in  bed.  Cleanliness,  and  avoiding  beds  wliere 
persons  who  have  been  affected  with  it  have  slept,  are 
the  onlj  preservatives  from  it  which  we  know. 

Sulphur,  applied  both  externally  and  internally,  is  the 
best  of  all  remedies.  Take  a  table-spoonful  of  sulphur 
and  a  table-spoonful  of  lard,  or  butter  without  salt,  make 

them  into  an  ointment,  with  a 
table-spoonful  of  the  essence 
of  lemon  to  give  it  a  pleasant 
smell,  and  rub  it  freely  on  the 
parts  affected  three  or  four 
nights  when  going  to  bed. 
For  internal  use,  take  two  parts 
of  flour-of-sulphur,  and  one 
part  of  cream  of  tartar;  mix 
them,  and  give  to  an  adult 
person  a  tea-spoonful  in  mo- 
lasses morning  and  night. 

Other  remedies  have  been 
prescribed,  such  as  a  strong 
decoction  of  Virginia  snake- 
root,  used  as  a  wash.  As  also 
a  strong  decoction  of  yellow 
dock-root,  of  which  half  a  pint  should  be  drank  every 
day;  and  the  parts  affected  should  be  bathed  in  it  at 
least  once  a  day.  Or  a  strong  decoction  of  water  dock- 
roots  may  be  used  as  a  wash.  Keep  the  bowels  mode- 
rately open  with  Epsom  salts. 


SNAEE-BOOT. 


EOSE  EASH. 

HIS  disease  is  sometimes  called  False 
Measles.  It  often  appears  a  few  days 
after  birth,  generally  on  the  toes  and 
'^^  fingers,  about  the  shoulders  or  neck, 
and  occasionally  on  the  thighs  or  stomach. 
It  is  an  eruption  of  a  bright  red  color,  often 
in  patches,  on  a  ground  of  a  faint  pink  hue. 
It  much  resembles  measles,  from  which  it  is 
distinguished  chiefly  by  the  brightness  of  its 
red  color,  and  by  the  hardness  and  uniform  thickening  of 
the  inflamed  skin.  It  is  preceded  by  great  debility,  and 
attended  with  headache. 

In  the  Yery  outset  of  this  disease,  the  part  affected  should 
be  very  frequently  dusted  with  fine  flour,  or  hair-powder, 
or  starch,  and  the  bowels  kept  open  with  Epsom  salts, 
or  some  other  cold  aperient.  Or  for  a  child  two  years 
old,  you  may  take  ten  grains  of  calomel,  and  two  grains 
of  salts  of  nitre;  mix  and  divide  them  into  four  powders, 
and  give  one  of  them  in  a  little  syrup  or  sugar  and  water 
every  two  hours,  till  they  operate  freely.  Increase  or 
diminish  the  dose  according  to  the  age  of  the  child. 
After  the  stomach  is  cleansed,  keep  the  bowels  open  with 
a  preparation  of  half  an  ounce  of  senna  leaves,  and  half 
8  (85) 


86  DISEASES    OF   CHILDREN. 

an  ounce  of  manna  flake,  boiled  to  a  strong  tea  in  half 
a  pint  of  water.  Give  a  table-spoonful  every  hour  till 
they  operate,  and  do  this  every  day. 


THE  GUM. 

This  disease  appears  in  rather  different  forms,  which 
are  variously  distinguished.  The  most  common  is  called 
the  Red  Oum.  This  usually  appears  a  short  time  after 
birth,  and  occasionally  recurs  till  what  are  called  the 
milk-teeth  are  cut.  It  consists  of  a  number  of  red  elevated 
spots,  the  tops  of  which  are  clear,  and  the  bottom  of  a 
vivid  red.  It  is  generally  scattered  on  the  trunk  of  the 
body,  but  sometimes  on  the  cheek  and  forehead.  If 
found  on  the  feet,  the  spots  are  larger,  more  distinct,  and 
sometimes  a  clear  fluid  is  found  at  the  top.  It  is  some- 
times mistaken  for  measles,  but  there  is  no  fever,  nor 
sneezing,  nor  watery  eyes,  nor  cough,  but  the  child  is  in 
perfect  health.  It  is  only  necessary  in  this  disease  to 
keep  the  bowels  open  with  a  gentle  aperient,  and  the 
patient  moderately  warm,  lest  the  rash  strike  in  upon 
the  bowels  and  produce  fever. 

The  Yellow  Oum  proceeds  from  the  absorption  of  bile, 
and  is  known  by  a  yellow  color  of  the  skin,  or  sometimes 
of  the  eyes.     It  is  preceded  and  attended  with  sleepiness 


DISEASES  OF   CHILDREN.  87 

and  indifference  to  the  breast.  Three  or  four  grains  of 
ipecacuanha,  or  a  few  drops  of  antimony  wine  should  be 
given  to  excite  vomiting,  and  the  bowels  should  be  kept 
open  by  a  watery  infusion  of  rhubarb,  or  the  syrup  of 
rhubarb. 

The  White  Gum  usually  appears  after  the  period  when 
infants  are  subject  to  the  varieties  to  which  we  have  re- 
ferred. It  consists  of  a  number  of  white,  hard,  elevated 
spots,  the  bottoms  of  which  are  sometimes  surrounded 
with  a  little  redness.  It  has  the  appearance  of  itch,  but 
it  is  neither  infectious  nor  itchy,  unless  irritation  is  pro- 
duced by  the  child  being  kept  too  dry.  Neither  this, 
however,  nor  what  nurses  often  call  the  tooth  rash,  need 
any  particulur  treatment  except  cleanliness  and  a  careful 
attention  to  the  state  of  the  bowels. 


NETTLE  EASH. 

This  disease  appears  in  two  forms;  the  milder  of  which 
presents  white  elevations,  usually  round,  but  sometimes 
of  a  long  shape;  the  severer  form  shows  pink-colored 
elevations  on  a  deep  rose-colored  surface.  The  first  form 
is  unattended  with  fever;  but  the  second  is  generally 
known  by  pain  in  the  head,  sickness  at  the  stomach, 
great  weakness,  and  a  feeling  not  unlike  the  sting  of  a 


88  DISEASES   OF  CHILDREN. 

nettle,  from  which  it  takes  its  name.  Kubbing  it,  or  heat, 
always  increases  the  sensation.  The  disease  is  occasioned 
by  excessive  emotions  of  the  mind,  by  too  much  bodily 
exertion,  unwholesome  food,  such  as  mushrooms,  the  rind 
of  cucumbers,  or  mussels,  a  careful  avoidance  of  all  which 
should  be  attended  to  by  those  who  show  a  susceptibility 
to  the  disease. 

We  should  commence  our  treatment  of  this  disease  by 
relieving  the  stomach  of  all  offensive  matter.  This  may 
be  done  by  giving  a  child  of  two  years  old  a  preparation 
of  ten  grains  of  ipecacuanha,  dissolved  in  three  or  four 
table-spoonsful  of  warm  water,  one-third  of  which  should 
be  given  every  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  till  it  operates 
freely,  the  vomiting  being  encouraged  three  or  four  times 
by  drinking  plentifully  of  warm  water.  Two  hours  after 
the  emetic  has  ceased  to  operate,  administer  a  preparation 
composed  of  four  grains  of  calomel  and  twenty  grains  of 
calcined  magnesia;  mix,  and  divide  into  two  powders, 
and  give  one  in  syrup  or  warm  sugar  and  water,  and  if 
that  does  not  operate  freely,  give  the  other.  The  skin 
may  be  rubbed  with  starch  or  flour;  the  diet  should  be 
light,  and  the  drink  cool,  but  never  acid.  Take  special 
caution  against  the  return  of  the  disease  by  a  due  regard 
to  the  mother's  health  and  milk,  and  any  other  disease 
of  the  child. 


THE  CHICKEN  POX. 

FTEN  called  by  the  old  people  Swvie- 
pox.  Its  vesicles  are  usually 
^■^^^  scattered  over  the  body;  they  are 
at  first  transparent,  and  about  the 
size  of  a  pea;  red  at  the  bottom, 
and  pointed  at  the  top;  and  never 
flat  like  varioloid,  nor  depressed  in  the  centre,  like  small- 
pox. The  fluid  they  contain,  though  clear  at  first,  after- 
ward turns  to  a  straw-color,  dries  away,  and  the  vesicles 
fall  off,  scarcely  ever  leaving  even  a  mark  on  the  skin. 
The  child  is  sometimes  feverish  for  a  few  days,  but  seldom 
needs  to  be  confined  to  the  house. 

Medicine  is  not  often  needed  in  this  disease,  except 
perhaps  a  dose  of  Epsom  salts,  or  castor  oil.  Eegard 
should  be  had  only  to  give  a  light  diet  and  cooling 
driak. 


MEASLES. 

We  remember  when  these  were   considered   highly 
dangerous;  and  when,  if  they  did  not  prove  fatal,  left 
8*  (89) 


90  DISEASES  OF  CHILDREN. 

behind  them  very  troublesome  and  long  continued  ill- 
nesses, such  as  blindness,  bad  coughs,  and  even  consump- 
tion. The  good  providence  of  God  has  so  improved  medi- 
cal science,  that  few  deaths  now  follow  measles,  unless 
there  has  been  sad  neglect  of  the  patient. 

Measles  are  infectious,  and  are  generally  caught  by 
children  from  each  other.  They  are  more  prevalent  in 
the  latter  end  of  winter  and  the  early  spring  than  at  any 
other  season  of  the  year.  Properly  managed,  they  are 
seldom  fatal;  and  though  we  do  not  recommend  an  excess 
of  nursing,  yet  caution  is  necessary  against  taking  cold. 

The  appearance  of  the  eruptions  is  usually  preceded 
by  alternate  chilliness  and  heat,  and  by  languor  and  thirst ; 
these,  after  three  or  four  days,  are  followed  by  sickness 
at  the  stomach,  fever,  cough,  running  of  water  from  the 
eyes,  and  sneezing.  The  tongue  is  coated,  a  bad  taste  in 
the  mouth,  not  unlike  that  of  rotten  wood,  and  the  dis- 
charge from  the  nose  is  abundant.  About  the  fourth 
day  the  eruption  itself  appears,  resembling  flea-bites, 
over  the  face  and  body,  and  particularly  about  the  neck 
and  breast.  Many  of  these  spots  often  run  into  each 
other,  but  never  tending  to  suppuration.  The  eruption 
is  not  so  scarlet  colored  as  that  of  scarlet  fever,  but  is 
generally  slightly  elevated  above  the  skin,  and  has  a 
purple  hue.  It  usually  retains  its  color  about  four  or  five 
days,  and  then  falls  into  scales  resembling  bran;  some- 
times, however,  it  will  remain  for  nine  or  ten  days.     If 


DISEASES   OF   CHILDREN. 


91 


there  should  be  any  symptoms  of  a  putrid  character,  any 
bleediog  from  different  parts  of  the  body,  or  black  spots 
mixed  with  the  eruptions,  the  patient  is  in  danger  and 
the  physician  should  be  instantly  called  in. 

Among  the  first  things  to  be  done  in  cases  of  measles, 
let  the  patient  use  the  warm  foot-bath,  open  the  bowels 
by  castor  oil  to  the  extent  of  three  or  four  motions:  a 
gentle  emetic  may  also  be  of 
service.  A  strong  tea  made 
of  saffron  and  snake-root 
can  never  be  wrong.  De- 
coctions of  liquorice,  marsh- 
mallow-roots,  and  sarsapa- 
rilla,  are  always  good;  so 
are  infusions  of  linseed,  or 
of  the  flowers  of  elder,  or 
balm;  clarified  whey,  and 
barley-water  are  all  good 
drinks  in  such  cases;  they 
may  be   sweetened,    if  the 

patient  is  costive  with  a  little  honev.  The  diet  should 
always  be  low. 

Beyond  these  general  directions,  nothing  m  ordinary 
cases  is  needed.  If,  however,  the  fever  should  be  very 
high,  and  the  cough  very  hard,  or  the  whooping  cough 
attends  the  measles,  there  is  danger  in  the  case.  Apply 
a  blister  between  the  shoulders  to  ease  the  cough,  and 


^2  DISEASES   OF   CHILDREN. 

send  at  once  for  the  physician.     Always  administer  a 
little  opening  medicine  when  the  disease  disappears. 


SMALL  POX. 

This  dreadful  disease  for  many  centuries  was  one  of 
the  greatest  calamities  which  visited  our  world,  exciting 
the  utmost  alarm,  and  annually  carrying  off  multitudes 
of  the  human  family  by  death.  It  is  now  comparatively 
seldom  met  with ;  and  when  it  does  seize  here  and  there 
a  victim,  it  is  by  no  means  so  violent  and  dangerous  as 
formerly.  We  have  no  fear  of  its  again  carrying  off 
four  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  in  one  year  from  Europe 
alone.  Its  vast  decrease  should  inspire  gratitude  to  God 
in  the  hearts  of  all  who  value  beauty,  health,  and  life. 

As  in  all  cases  of  small  pox  there  is  danger,  the 
physician  should  be  called  in  as  soon  as  the  symptoms 
present  themselves.  These  symptoms  usually  are,  chills 
for  perhaps  several  days,  followed  by  fever,  frequent 
vomiting,  and  soreness  in  the  throat.  The  flesh  is  sore, 
and  the  bones  ache.  From  the  third  to  the  fifth  day  the 
eruption  begins  to  appear  on  the  face,  neck  and  breast, 
in  small  specks  or  pimples;  the  parts  where  they  appear 
begin  to  swell,  the  pimples  enlarge,  and  matter  forms  in 
them.     They  are  flat  on  the  top,  and  when  full  seem  to 


DISEASES   OF   CHILDREN.  99 

contain  milk  and  water;  each  one  has  a  small  depression 
in  the  centre,  and  determines  the  positive  character  of 
the  disease.  If  delirium  attends,  the  danger  is  great. 
Guard  carefully  against  it. 

If  the  physician  cannot  be  had,  place  the  feet  and  legs 
of  the  patient  in  the  tepid  water  bath,  and  apply  mustard 
poultices  to  the  feet.  Keep  the  patient  cool,  give  him  only 
very  light  food,  such  as  barley-water,  Indian  meal  gruel, 
roasted  apples,  and  hasty  pudding  and  milk.  Let  his 
drinks  be  toasted-bread  water,  currant-jelly  water,  lemon- 
ade, or  teas  made  of  mint,  catnip,  balm,  or  pigweed.  If 
the  patient  shows  exhaustion,  by  all  means  administer  a 
little  wine,  or  even  brandy  and  water. 

As  to  medicines,  a  tea  may  be  given  made  of  equal  parts 
of  saffron  and  catnip.  But  generally  speaking,  this  will 
not  be  sufficiently  powerful  to  remove  the  disease ;  so 
that  some  physicians,  who  are  generally  opposed  to  calo- 
mel, recommend  it  in  this  particular  case.  For  a  child 
two  years  old,  ten  grains  of  calomel  and  six  grains  of 
jalap  should  be  mixed,  divided  into  three  powders,  and 
one  given  every  three  hours  till  they  operate  freely. 
Work  them  off  with  a  little  gruel  without  salt.  On  the 
second  day  powders  should  be  given  composed  of  twelve 
grains  of  calomel  and  six  grains  of  salts  of  nitre :  divide 
into  six  powders,  and  give  one  every  two  hours  in 
syrup.  "When  the  pustules  begin  to  dry,  repeat  one  of 
these  prescriptions;  or  if  the  patient  be  very  feeble,  give 


M  DISEASES   OF  CHILDREN". 

only  rhubarb  and  magnesia  in  the  proportion  of  twelve 
grains  of  rhubarb  to  twenty  grains  of  calcined  magnesia, 
divided  into  four  powders,  and  one  given  every  four 
hours.  Should  any  symptoms  of  stupor  appear,  recourse 
must  again  be  had  to  the  calomel. 

Varioloid  is  of  the  same  general  character  as  small 
pox,  and  is  generally  treated  in  the  same  manner. 


YACCINATION  AND  COW-POX. 

This  is  really  a  triumph  of  medical  science  over  Nature. 
Art  here  produces  one  disease  as  a  preservative  against 
another.  What,  at  first  view,  could  appear  more  unnatural 
and  dangerous  than  Vaccination?  And  yet  it  has  now 
become  an  almost  universal  practice,  and  has  undoubtedly 
saved  the  lives  of  millions.  This,  too,  in  the  face  of  the 
most  violent  opposition,  at  first,  from  a  large  majority  of 
both  physicians  and  clergymen. 

In  relation  to  inoculation,  the  same  might  be  said, 
both  as  to  Tinnaturalness  and  the  opposition  it  met  with 
Not  only  was  the  whole  medical  profession  opposed  to  it, 
but  further,  as  More  tells  us,  in  his  amusing  work  on 
Inoculation,  "Some  zealous  churchmen,  conceiving  that 
it  was  repugnant  to  religion,  thought  it  their  duty  to  in- 
terfere.    They  wrote  and  preached  that  Inoculation  was 


DISEASES   OF   CHILDKEN.  95 

a  daring  attempt  to  interrupt  the  eternal  decree  of  Provi 
dence."  Lord  Wharncliffe,  in  his  Life  of  Lady  Wortley 
Montague,  says  that  the  clergy  descanted  from  their 
pulpits  on  its  impiety.  A  Mr.  Massy  preached,  in  1792, 
in  St.  Andrew's  Church,  Holborn,  London,  that  all  who 
infused  the  virous  ferment  were  hellish  sorcerers^  and 
that  inoculation  was  a  diabolical  invention  of  Satan.  And 
one  of  the  Rectors  of  Canterbury,  the  Eev.  Theodore  de 
la  Faye,  perhaps  exceeded  this  in  a  sermon  preached  in 
1751,  for  he  denounced  with  horror  Inoculation,  as  the 
oflfspring  of  atheism,  and  drew  a  touching  parallel  between 
the  virtue  of  resignation  to  the  Divine  will  and  ita 
practice. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  discovery  of  Yaccine  for  cow 
pox  was,  as  we  usually  say,  accidental.  Those  engaged  in 
milking  cows  in  Gloucestershire,  England,  observed,  some 
sixty  years  ago,  that  a  peculiar  eruption  was  often  found  on 
the  cows  they  milked,  and  that  those  who  were  thus  en- 
gaged often  took  the  disease  from  the  cows,  which  slightly 
affected  them  for  a  few  days,  after  when  they  entirely 
recovered;  and  they  also  found  that  those  who  had  what 
they  called  the  cow  pox  never  had  the  small  pox;  but, 
general  as  was  this  conviction,  the  man  who  proposed 
to  inoculate  such  persons  for  the  small  pox  was  treated 
with  ridicule.  This  first  led  the  very  eminent  Dr.  Jen- 
ner  to  make  inquiries  and  experiments,  which  fully 
confirmed  the  fact  that  the  disease  of  the  cow  transferred 


96  DISEASES   OF    CHILDREN'. 

to  the  human  being  would  act  as  an  almost  infallible  pre- 
servative from  the  small-pox,  a  fact  now  universally 
established. 

It  is  not  necessary  in  this  place  to  say  much  on  vacci- 
nation or  its  results,  as  all  affectionate  parents  will  be 
anxious  only  to  have  the  operation  performed  on  their 
children  by  those  whose  skill  in  the  choice  of  matter, 
the  proper  results,  and  the  judicious  treatment  of  the  dis- 
ease from  first  to  last,  can  be  fully  depended  on.  As 
there  are  many  mistakes  made  on  this  subject,  and  several 
spurious  kinds  of  vaccine  matter  abound,  we  cannot  too 
strongly  urge  upon  our  readers  the  importance  of  the 
most  skillful  physician  who  can  be  obtained,  and  the 
greatest  care  to  follow  out  his  counsels. 

As  it  has  often  been  said  that  vaccination,  even  when 
properly  performed,  is  not  an  infallible  remedy  against 
small  jJox,  we  may  as  well  state  the  whole  truth  of  the 
matter,  which  is,  that  a  very  careful  examination  has 
ascertained  that  about  one  in  a  thousand  properly  vacci- 
nated afterward  take  the  small  pox,  always,  however,  in 
a  mild  form ;  and  that  about  the  same  proportion  of  per- 
sons have  the  small  pox  twice  in  the  natural  way. 


ST.  VITUS'   DANCE. 


HIS  disease  usually  attacks  young 
people,  especially  females,  from  eight 
to  fifteen  years  of  age.  It  is  a  species 
of  convulsions,  and  evinces  itself  by 
languor,  indisposition  to  activity, 
and  long-continued  constipation  of 
the  bowels.  It  generally  begins  by 
slight  tvvitcliings  in  the  fingers  and 
toes;  after  awhile  the  face  is  seized 
with  convulsions,  frequently, however, 
at  first  only  on  one  side,  so  that  some  physicians  have 
considered  it  rather  as  a  paralytic  affection  than  of 
the  convulsive  class.  Certain  it  is,  that  as  it  continues, 
the  limbs  shake  and  jerk  violently,  so  that  the  patient 
loses  all  control  of  them,  and  even  friends  are  disposed 
to  sport  over  their  calamity.  In  many  instances  the 
voice  becomes  seriously  affected,  and  swallowing  is  per- 
formed with  difficulty.  With  all  this,  it  is  found  the 
patient  is  so  strong  that  two  or  three  persons  can  scarcely 
hold  him;  and  fear,  love,  or  joy  will  greatly  aggravate 
the  symptoms. 

To  effect  a  cure,  the  stomach  must  first  be  thoroughly 
cleansed.     By  all  means  administer  au  emetic.     For  an 
9  O  (97) 


98  DISEASES   OF  CHILDREN. 

aJult,  tbis  may  be  composeJ  of  ton  grains  of  pulverized 
ipecacuanha,  and  three  grains  ol'  tartar  emetic.  Mix  them 
in  nine  table-spoonsful  of  warm  walor ;  give  three  table- 
spoonsful  first,  and  another  every  fifteen  minutes  till  the 
patient  vomits  freely.  The  day  after  this  emetic  has  been 
taken,  a  purgative  should  be  given  to  act  very  freely, 
such  as  fifteen  grains  of  calomel,  ten  grains  of  powdered 
rhubarb,  and  ten  grains  of  Socotrine  aloes;  mix  and 
divide  them  into  six  pills,  taking  two  every  two  bours, 
working  them  off  with  gruel  without  salt  in  it. 

Dr.  Eliotson,  of  London,  says  that  he  has  cured  this 
disease  by  giving  two  drachms  of  carbonate  of  iron  in 
molasses  every  six  hours.  A  tea  made  of  the  Indian 
hemp-root  is  very  good  to  allay  the  nervous  irritation  of 
this  disease.  In  order  to  recovery,  all  mental  excitement 
must  be  avoided,  and  nutritious  but  light  diet  used.  An 
occasional  tepid  foot-bath  will  be  found  useful;  and 
tonics  are  almost  always  good. 


WATEEY-HEAD,  OR  DROPSY  OF  THE  BRAIN. 

This  disease,  often  called  Hydrocephalus,  though  it 
sometimes  may  affect  adults,  will  be  seen  to  be  most  com- 
mon in  childhood,  in  whom  its  symptoms  appear  almost 
from  birth ;  in  such  cases,  it  will  ultimately  prove  fatal 


DISEASES   OF  CHILDREN.  99 

It  frequently  accompanies  or  follows  teething,  disordered 
bowels,  or  the  sudden  healing  of  ulcers  of  the  head  and 
skin. 

It  usually  makes  its  appearance  in  a  slow  fever,  violent 
pains  in  the  head,  aud  occasional  vomiting.  Not  unfre- 
quently  the  bowels  become  costive ;  convulsions  or  palsy, 
or  sometimes  both  at  the  same  time,  afflict  the  patient, 
who  has  very  disturbed  sleep,  grinds  his  teeth,  picks  his 
nose,  squints,  and  often  screams  in  sleep  without  apparent 
cause. 

To  recommend  the  best  remedies  the  case  will  admit 
of  is  our  duty,  but  it  would  be  unwise  to  inspire  too 
great  a  confidence  as  to  recovery.  No  discovery  has  yet 
been  made  of  a  cure,  though  sometimes  temporary  relief 
may  be  gained,  and  life  somewhat  prolonged.  As  soon 
as  the  symptoms  are  decided,  secure  quiet  for  the  child, 
use  the  tepid  foot-bath,  shave  the  head,  and  apply  a 
blister.  All  this  having  been  done,  administer  a  little 
common  snufi"  or  hellebore  to  the  nose  to  procure  sneez- 
ing; then  give  an  emetic  according  to  age.  Mustard 
plasters  should  be  applied  to  the  feet,  sufficiently  strong 
to  produce  a  little  redness,  and  a  poultice  of  slippery  elm- 
bark  over  the  whole  head,  constantly  changed  before  it 
becomes  dry,  has  often  been  found  useful.  Dr.  Beach 
says  that  he  has  administered  fox-glove  or  digitalis  with 
advantage.  To  half  a  tea-spoonful  of  the  dry  herb  add 
a  gill  of  boiling  water,  and  let  it  stand  till  it  is  cold.    To 


100  DISEASES    OF   CHILDREN 

a  child  from  one  to  two  years  of  age,  give  a  tea-spoonful 
every  two  hours  during  the  day,  in  a  table-spoonful  of 
parsley  tea. 

Dr.  Vere  gives  an  interesting  account  of  the  cure  of  a 
child  four  years  of  age  by  the  following  treatment.  He 
gave  a  tea-spoonful  every  two  hours  through  the  day  of 
bitter-root,  or  milkweed,  as  much  in  quantity  as  the 
stomach  would  bear,  which  acted  as  a  diuretic  and  laxa- 
tive, and  also  caused  nausea.  He  used  a  fomentation  for 
the  head  composed  of  two  ounces  of  wormwood,  and  the 
same  quantity  of  each  of  mullein  and  hops,  with  one 
ounce  of  stramonium  mixed  with  vinegar  and  water,  and 
used  it  four  or  five  times  a  day.  At  first  he  gave  one 
dose  of  antibilious  medicine;  whenever  fever  was  present 
the  child  was  bathed  with  ley- water ;  and  he  applied  dry 
garlic  powder  to  the  feet  whenever  there  was  pain  in  iJie 
head.  As  a  common  drink,  through  the  disease,  he  pre- 
pared an  infusion,  in  boiling  water,  of  four  ounces  of 
amaranthus,  and  added  half  a  drachm  of  cream  of  tartar. 
When  the  fever  was  high,  he  gave  a  tea  composed  of 
eight  parts  of  amaranthus  or  crawley,  and  one  part  of 
sweet  spirits  of  nitre. 

A  prompt  treatment  of  this  disease  should  be  com- 
menced as  soon  as  the  symptoms  decidedly  prove  its 
existence. 


ABSCESS  AVITHIN  THE  EAR. 


SUALLY,  the  symptoms  of  this  disease  are 
violent  screaming  for  some  minutes, 
fc  t-^ien  falling  into  a  short  sleep,  and 
waking  in  an  agony  of  pain. 
Children  are  liable  to  it  from 
"^T"  the  aare  of  six  months  and 
upward.  It  is  not  always 
attended  with  fever,  nor  are  the  hands  and  feet  cold, 
neither  does  the  infant  draw  up  its  knees  toward  the 
abdomen.  By  these  latter  symptoms  it  is  to  be  distin- 
guished from  colic.  When  these  symptoms  are  found, 
press  the  lower  part  of  the  ear  near  the  orifice;  the 
child  will  experience  pain.  You  can  often  discover  a 
swelling  in  the  ear,  and  not  unfrequently  see  that  matter 
lias  already  formed.  When  the  abscess  breaks,  matter 
flows  out  freely,  and  the  child  is  relieved,  falls  into  a 
Bweet  sleep,  and  awakes  in  ease  and  spirits,  but  is  liable 
to  two  or  three  similar  attacks  during  the  next  month, 
till  possibly  inflammation  seizes  the  bones  of  the  ear, 
and,  if  death  does  not  take  away  the  patient,  incurable 
deafness  will  follow. 

As  soon  as  you  have  ascertained  the  disease,  fill  the 
9*  (101) 


102  DISEASES   OF   CHILDREN. 

ear  with  cotton  wet  with  laudanum,  and  frequently  re- 
peat the  application.  If  the  fever  be  high,  the  patient 
should  be  bled;  and  for  a  child  six  mouths  old,  obtain 
six  grains  of  calomel,  and  twenty  grains  of  magnesia; 
mix  and  divide  them  into  six  powders,  and  give  one  three 
times  a  day  in  syrup.  Eepeat  the  doses  on  the  following 
day.  Three  or  four  leeches  applied  under  the  ear  may 
be  of  service. 

If  the  disease  does  not  yield  in  two  days,  apply  a  small 
blister  under  the  ear,  and  let  two  or  three  drops  of  the 
juice  of  a  roasted  onion  be  squeezed  into  the  ear;  this 
will  sometimes  give  immediate  relief.  The  onion  may 
be  well  roasted  and  made  into  a  poultice,  and  applied  to 
the  external  part  of  the  ear.  If  the  abscess  should  break, 
wash  the  whole  part  with  a  little  lime-water,  new  milk, 
and  tincture  of  myrrh,  mixed,  which  should  be  followed 
with  a  little  fine  soap  and  water.  Stop  the  ear  after  this 
with  a  little  cotton  wool,  well  soaked  in  a  preparation  of 
half  a  drachm  of  tincture  of  myrrh,  and  the  same  quan- 
tity of  sweet  oil.  The  bowels  must  be  kept  open  with 
gentle  medicines,  and  if  the  child  be  weaned,  its  diet 
should  be  entirely  vegetable. 

There  are  many  other  diseases  to  which  children  are 
sometimes  liable,  which  may  be  more  properly  discussed 
in  the  department  relating  to  men  and  women;  partly 
because  they  are  more  frequently  found  among  adults 


DISEASES   OF   CHILDREN.  103 

than  children,  but  chiefly  because  they  are  then  more 
completely  developed,  and  can  be  spoken  of  with  more 
confidence.  We  may  add  here,  that  some  diseases  to 
which  children  are  occasionally  liable  we  have  not  de- 
scribed at  all,  because  they  are  so  complex  in  their 
character,  that  they  could  be  only  described  in  scientifio 
terms,  and  can  only  be  treated  by  well  experienced  phy- 
sicians. We  have  already  treated  of  more  diseases 
peculiar  to  childhood  than  have  any  of  our  predecessors ; 
and  our  readers  i.iay  be  assured,  that  any  other  evils  to 
which  their  children  are  liable,  demand  the  attention  of 
those  who  can  see  the  patient,  examine  his  symptoms, 
and  prescribe  for  his  recovery. 


DISEASES    OF    MEN    AND    WOMEN. 


lET,  exercise,  and  water,  are  the  three 
things  most  essential  to  health;  and 
the  abuse  of  one  or  the  other  of  these 
will  usually  be  the  foundation  of  dis- 
ease. If  you  would  be  healthy  and 
happy,  study  these  things  well,  and 
by  avoiding  their  excess,  secure  their  friendship. 

In  proceeding  to  speak,  in  language  as  simple  as  we 
can  employ,  and  with  as  much  care  as  the  subject  de 
mands,  we  ask  the  reader's  attention  first  to — 


COLDS  AND  COUGHS. 


Whenever  we  hear  the  common  remark,  "I  am  very 
well,  except  a  cold,"  wo  think  of  an  eminent  friend  of  ours, 
who  used  in  such  cases  to  reply,  "  Only  a  cold!  What  do 
you  want — the  plague?"  The  cold,  especially  when  attend- 
ed by  a  cough,  is  the  forerunner  of  almost  all  the  diseases 
fatal  to  life.  The  reader  would  smile  were  we  to  attempt  a 
description  of  a  cold  or  cough,  and  so  we  proceed  to  add 
(104) 


DISEASES  OF   MEN"  AND  WOMEN.  105 

to  the  thousand  remedies  of  which  the  said  reader  has  a 
thousand  times  heard. 

On  the  first  day  of  taking  a  cold,  there  is  a  very  un- 
pleasant sensation  of  chilliness.  The  moment  you  observe 
this,  go  to  your  room  and  stay  there;  keeping  it  at  such 
a  temperature  as  will  entirely  prevent  this  chilly  feeling, 
even  if  it  requires  a  hundred  degrees  of  Fahrenheit.  In 
addition,  put  your  feet  in  a  foot-bath,  as  already  de- 
scribed, as  hot  as  you  can  bear  it,  adding  hotter  water  from 
time  to  time  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  so  that  the  water 
shall  be  hotter  when  you  take  your  feet  out  than  when 
you  put  them  in  it;  then  dry  them  thoroughly,  and  put 
on  warm,  thick  woolen  stockings,  even  if  it  be  in  summer, 
for  summer  colds  are  the  most  dangerous;  and  for 
twenty-four  hours  eat  not  an  atom  of  food ;  but  drink  as 
largely  as  you  desire  of  any  kind  of  warm  teas;  and  at 
the  end  of  that  time,  if  not  sooner,  the  cold  will  probably 
be  effectually  broken,  without  any  medicine  whatever. 

Cold  is  the  sudden  check  given  to  the  natural  perspi- 
ration of  the  body,  and  therefore  caution  should  be  used 
as  to  clothing,  exercise,  sitting  in  draughts  of  air,  and 
whatever  else  common  sense  tells  us  produces  the  evil 
Flannel  should  always  be  worn  next  to  the  skin,  and  the 
daily  use  of  the  cold  or  tepid-bath  would  often  prevent  a 
cold. 

By  no  means  neglect  a  cold.  Eepeat  the  tepid  or  the 
hot  bath  every  night  till  the  object  be  accomplished; 


106 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN. 


take  regular  exercise,  but  avoid  unwholesome  air;  secure 
a  free  perspiration  by  the  use  everj  night  of  warm  hoar- 
hound  or  boneset  tea,  which  may  be  drank  cold,  freely, 
through  the  day.  Avoid  suppers,  except  it  be  a  basin 
of  simple  gruel  and  bread,  and  let  all  your  food  be  light. 

We  close  with  two  or 
three  simple  remedies  for 
coughs : — 

Take  the  yolks  of  two  fresh 
eggs,  beat  them  well  up  in  a 
basin,  then  add  a  quarter  of 
a  pound  of  moist  sugar,  and 
beat  them  together;  in  an- 
other vessel  mix  a  wine-glass- 
ful of  white- wine  vinegar,  and 
the  juice  of  two  large  lemons  • 
stir  all  these  ingredients  up, 
mix  them,  and  put  the  whole 
in  a  bottle  and  cork  it  close. 
It  is  fit  for  use  immediately ; 
take  a  table-spoonful  when 
the  cough  is  troublesome. 
Dr.  Eiadore,  speaking  of  the  use  of  alum  in  bronchial 
catarrh,  says  that  he  has  known  it  to  arrest  the  most 
violent  attacks  of  cough,  in  many  instances,  in  a  few 
minutes.  The  proper  dose  is  a  scruple  or  half  a  drachm 
lump,  dissolved  gradually  in  the  mouth,  and  then  swal 
lowed  occasionally. 


HOAKHOHND. 


DISEASES  OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN.  107 

Many  persons  have  found  relief  in  colds  and  coughs 
from  the  moderate  use  of  ipecacuanha  lozenges,  to  be 
obtained  at  the  confectioner's  store,  and  whicli  are  pleas- 
ant even  to  the  palate  of  a  child.  Or,  if  a  vegetable 
medicine  be  preferred,  take  a  tea  made  of  slippery  elm- 
bark,  or  flax-seed,  or  bran.  These  may  be  used  either 
separately  or  together.  A  little  lemon  juice  may  be" 
added,  and  the  whole  sweetened  with  sugar  or  honey. 
In  the  same  manner  may  be  taken  the  root  of  the  Indian 
turnip. 


INFLUENZA,  OR  CATARRH. 

This  is  an  epidemic  arising  usually  from  a  common 
neglected  cold.  It  often  affects  at  one  time  the  vast 
majority  of  the  inhabitants  of  a  whole  neighborhood,  and 
is  frequently  fatal  to  a  greater  extent  than  the  cholera. 
The  very  first  indication  of  a  cold  having  been  taken 
should  therefore  be  attended  to.  If  there  be  fever,  ac- 
companied with  the  sensation  of  weight,  and  pain  in  the 
head,  soreness  and  rawness  of  the  throat,  oppression  of 
the  chest,  and  great  debility ;  if  there  be  a  difficulty  of 
breathing,  a  considerable  discharge  from  the  nose,  and 
difficulty  of  expectoration,  lay  aside  all  labor,  and  go  to 
a  warm  bedchamber,  and  stay  there  till  you  have  recov- 
ered your  usual  health. 


108  DISEASES  OF   MEN   AND  WOSIEN. 

For  many  years  all  the  physicians  recommended  a 
very  low  diet,  and  a  great  deal  of  medicine.  Modern 
discoveries  have  shown  that  thousands  have  been  thus 
destroyed ;  and  excepting  where  there  is  much  fever,  the 
chief  prescription  at  present  is,  a  generous  diet,  such  as 
a  fried  beefsteak  full  of  its  gravy,  and  a  glass  of  port 
wine  with  it;  but  if  there  be  high  fever,  such  a  diet 
brings  death;  perhaps  immediate,  or  possibly  leading  on 
to  consumption  or  asthma.  The  diet  must  then  be  mode- 
rate, and  chiefly  of  vegetables.  Vegetable  soup,  well 
made  by  a  skillful  cook,  in  this  disease  is  invaluable. 

If  medicine  be  necessary,  which,  perliaps  may  not  be 
the  case  if  you  at  once  use  the  hot  bath  every  other  day, 
or  oftener  if  needful,  take  a  tea-spoonful  every  morning 
of  the  syrup  of  ipecacuanha;  and  if  the  cough  be  trouble- 
some, tbe  same  quantity  of  the  syrup  of  white  poppy  may 
be  given.  Or,  take  equal  parts  of  vinegar  and  water,  to 
which  add  some  capsicum  to  make  it  thoroughly  warm, 
and  take  a  tea-spoonful  whenever  the  cough  is  trouble- 
some.    The  bowels  must  be  kept  moderately  open. 


CONSUMPTION. 

"When  it  is  remembered  that  nearly  half  the  human 
family  die  from  the  various  kinds  of  this  disease,  it  will 


DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN.  109 

be  seen  to  be  of  vast  importance,  duly  to  consider  its 
symptoms,  and  to  study  its  best  remedies.  On  a  careful 
examination,  the  lungs  will  be  found  full  of  innumerable 
little  boles,  like  a  sponge.  These  holes  are  the  cells  into 
which  the  air  enters  when  we  breathe.  So  great  is  their 
number  that  they  have  been  calculated  to  amount  to  one 
hundred  and  seventy-four  millions^  forming  a  surface  thirty 
times  greater  than  that  of  the  human  body.  Every  one 
of  these  cells  is  provided  with  a  net- work  of  vessels,  by 
means  of  which  the  blood  is  brought  into  immediate  con- 
tact with  the  air  over  every  portion  of  their  surface. 
When  this  great  amount  is  taken  into  consideration,  we 
shall  feel  how  necessary  it  is  to  supply  pure  air  to  the 
lungs  with  every  breath  we  draw,  as  well  as  to  guard  them 
from  great  and  sudden  colds,  which  we  have  already  said 
are  usually  the  forerunners  of  consumption;  though  it 
must  be  admitted  that  in  some  instances  there  is  a  strong 
hereditary  tendency  to  it,  and  that  in  others  it  results 
from  dissipated  habits.  These  facts  should  surely  induce 
caution.  Tens  of  thousands  of  our  beautiful  girls  lead 
themselves  to  this  disease  and  to  the  grave  by  thin  shoes, 
exciting  amusements,  tight-lacing,  close  rooms,  and  want 
of  open-air  exercise. 

On  the  subject  of  preservation  from  consumption,  or 
attacking  it  in  its  incipient  stages.  Dr.  W.  Hall  has  some 
very   sensible  remarks,  which  we  will  transcribe.     He 
says : — 
10 


110  DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND   WOMEN. 

"If  you  have  actual  consumption,  or  are  merely  threat 
ened  with  it;  or  if,  from  some  of  your  relatives  having 
died  with  it,  you  have  unpleasant  apprehensions  of  its 
lurking  in  your  own  body;  or  whether,  from  a  diseased 
liver  or  disordered  stomach,  or  a  dyspeptic  condition  of 
the  system,  the  foundations  of  the  dreadful  disease  are 
being  laid  in  your  own  person;  or  whether,  by  exposure, 
by  over  bodily  exertion  or  mental  labor,  or  wasting  cares 
for  the  present,  or  anxieties  for  the  future,  or  by  hugging 
sharp-pointed  memories  of  the  past,  or  by  intemperate 
living  in  eating  or  drinking,  or  by  unwise  habits  or  prac- 
tices in  life,  you  have  originated  in  your  own  person  the 
ordinary  precursors  of  consumption,  such  as  a  hacking 
cough,  pains  in  the  breast,  chilliness,  wasting  of  flesh  and 
strength,  shortness  of  breath  on  exercise — under  all  those 
circumstances  a  proper  attention  to  air  and  exercise  are 
indispensable  aids — are  among  the  principal,  essential 
means  of  cure,  and  are  never  to  be  dispensed  with ;  con- 
finement to  the  regulated  temperature  of  a  room  in  any 
latitude  is  certain  death,  if  persevered  in;  and  if,  from 
any  cause,  this  air  and  exercise  are  not  practicable  to 
you,  except  to  a  limited  extent,  it  is  your  misfortune; 
your  not  being  able  to  employ  them  does  not  make  them 
the  less  necessary,  and  they  have  no  substitutes P 

It  is  important,  however,  in  this  matter  to  avoid  ex- 
tremes. Hence  our  author  goes  on  to  say,  "  You  will 
never  fail  to  find  that  whenever  you  overdo  yourself]  in 


DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN.  Ill 

the  way  of  exercise,  you  will  feel  the  worse  after  it.  The 
exercise  must  be  adapted  to  the  strength,  and  the  rule  is 
imperative  under  all  circumstances.  Stop  short  of  fatigue. 
This  applies  to  mental  as  well  as  to  bodily  operations. 
But  if  you  say,  as  many  others  have  said  and  died,  '  I 
can't  help  it,'  then  you  must  take  the  consequences  and 
responsibility.  If  you  do  not  use  the  means  of  health, 
you  cannot  be  cured.  If  you  really  and  truly  cannot  use 
them,  that  inability  does  not  alter  the  necessity  of  their 
observance,  nor  the  effect  of  their  neglect. 

"Have,  if  possible,  an  hour's  active,  cheerful,  willing, 
out-door  exercise  thrice  a  day;  this  is  many  times  better 
than  three  hours'  continuous  exercise.  If  you  walk,  oi 
leave  the  house,  before  breakfast,  eat  first  a  cracker  or 
crust  of  bread.  Avoid,  during  warm  weather,  in  the 
South  and  West,  and  in  level  or  damp  situations,  the 
out-door  air,  including  the  hour  about  sunrise  and  sunset. 
There  is  no  danger  usually,  even  to  invalids,  in  exercis- 
ing in  the  night  air,  if  it  be  sufficiently  vigorous  to  keep  off 
a  feeling  of  chilliness.  This  should  be  the  rule  in  all  forms 
of  out-door  exercise,  and  is  an  infallible  preventive,  as 
far  as  my  experience  extends,  against  taking  cold  in  any 
and  all  weathers,  provided  it  be  not  continued  to  over- 
exhaustion  or  decided  fatigue.  Such  exercise  never  can 
give  a  cold,  whether  in  rain,  or  sleet,  or  snow,  unless 
there  be  some  great  peculiarity  in  the  constitution.  It 
is  the  conduct  after  exercise  which  gives  the  cold;  it  is 


112  DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN. 

the  getting  cool  too  quick,  by  standing  or  sitting  still  in 
a  draft  of  air,  or  open  window,  or  cold  room.  The  only 
precaution  needed  is,  to  end  the  exercise  in  a  room  of 
temperature  uncomfortably  warm  when  first  entered,  and 
there  remain  until  rested  and  no  moisture  is  observed  on 
the  surface. 

"If  working  or  walking  cause  actual  fatigue,  then 
horseback  exercise  is  the  next  best  for  both  sexes ;  but 
if  not  able,  then  ride  in  a  close  carriage,  especially  in  cold 
weather,  or  when  there  is  a  damp  raw  wind  blowing." 

Dr.  Culverwell,  in  his  valuable  work  on  "  The  Diseases 
of  Winter,^^  has  some  very  sensible  remarks  on  averting 
disease,  which  ought  to  be  more  extensively  known  than 
they  are  at  present.     He  says  that — 

"By  proper  diet  we  repair  the  constantly  wasting 
structures  of  the  body. 

"By  proper  air,  we  vivify  the  blood  into  which  diet  is 
converted. 

"  By  proper  exercise,  we  promote  the  necessary  circula- 
tion of  the  blood. 

"By  proper  sleep,  repose  is  afforded  to  the  exhausted 
powers  of  the  body. 

"  By  proper  clothing,  we  protect  the  frame  from  external 
injury. 

"By  proper  recreation,  that  gentle  relief  is  imparted  to 
the  nervous  manifestations  which  the  cares  of  life  tend  to 
depress." 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND   WOMEN.  113 

A  departure  from  a  practical  regard  to  these  facts  will 
assuredly  bring  its  own  punishment,  while  attention  to 
them  brings  health,  arrests  disease,  and  diffuses  over  the 
spirits  a  happy  serenity  which  nothing  else  can  impart, 
excepting  that  religion  which  has  the  infinitely  benevolent 
Being  for  its  author,  and  which  has  itself  enjoined  the 
laws  of  health  as  a  condition  of  its  full  enjoyment. 

These  counsels,  applicable  to  every  class  of  persons, 
are  especially  so  to  those  who  are  at  all  inclined  to  a  dis- 
ease which,  when  deeply  seated,  has  hitherto  bidden 
defiance  to  the  medical  skill  of  the  world.  By  care  and 
constant  attention  it  may  be  long  delayed,  or  possibly  its 
current,  when  first  threatened,  may  be  averted ;  but  the 
lungs  really  affected,  can  never  be  radically  healed. 
Eeader,  beware! 

We  have  already  indicated  both  the  causes  and  the 
symptoms  of  consumption.  All  extremes  must  be 
avoided,  and  both  body  and  mind  kept  serenely  cheerful. 
The  cold  or  tepid  bath  should  be  used  twice  or  three 
times  a  week,  at  the  discretion  of  the  patient  himself;  the 
food  should  be  always  light  and  nutritious;  and  the 
bowels  must  be  kept  gently  open.  Milk  and  ripe  fruits 
may  be  moderately  used,  but  tea  and  coffee  should  be 
avoided.  Change  of  air  is  of  great  service,  provided  ex- 
tremes are  avoided.  We  have  known  serious  evils  arise 
from  going  from  a  cold  country  to  a  very  warm  one  for 
the  cure  of  consumption.  Instead  of  accomplishing  its 
10*  H 


114  DISEASES   OF   MEN   AXP  WOMEN. 

purpose,  it  has  hastened  death.  Keeping  up  the  spirits 
is  of  vast  importance,  but  the  confidence  of  recovery  is 
often  delusive. 

It  will  have  already  been  observed  that  we  have  re- 
commended no  course  of  medicine  in  this  disease.  Our 
difficulty  in  this  case  does  not  arise  from  the  fact  that  no 
remedies  have  been  prescribed,  or  that  we  have  not  used 
many  of  them.  Inhalation,  cod-liver  oil,  and  a  thou- 
sand other  remedies  have  been  recommended ;  but  while 
the  patient  may  seek  relief  by  simple  means,  we  recom- 
mend him  to  place  himself  under  the  care  of  a  skillful 
physician,  who  will  deal  with  each  separate  case  accord- 
ing to  its  peculiar  characteristics. 

If,  however,  the  physician  cannot  be  obtained,  or  if  the 
hopefulness  of  the  patient  leads  him  to  make  a  trial  of 
the  best  remedies  for  himself,  we  would  recommend  him 
to  put  a  small  quantity  of  tar  into  a  coffee-pot  or  earthen 
vessel,  and  having  heated  it,  inhale  the  fumes  from  the 
spout.  This  will  allay  the  violence  of  the  cough,  and 
produce  a  copious  discharge  of  mucus  or  matter.  You 
may  also  properly,  in  a  similar  way,  inhale  the  steam  of 
vinegar  and  water  several  times  during  the  day. 

The  common  ipecacuanha  lozenges  of  the  confectioner 
may  be  taken  with  advantage ;  and  we  have  known  great 
benefit  follow  taking  twelve  or  fifteen  drops  of  the  elixir 
of  vitriol,  in  sweetened  water,  twice  a  day.  A  strength- 
ening plaster  between  the  shoulders  is  always  useful;  and 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND   WOMEN. 


115 


for  night  perspirations  a  drachrn  each  of  sulphuric  acid 
and  nitric  acid  may  be  mixed  in  a  tea-cupful  of  water, 
and  a  tea-spoonful  should  be  taken  in  a  pint  of  cold  sage 
tea  during  the  day. 

Strong  chamomile  tea  has  been  often  drank  with  ad- 
vantage in  this  disease;  so  also  has  a  decoction  of  common 
polypody  and  liverwort,  taken  freely  through  the  day. 
The  yolk  of  an  egg  beat  up  with  a  table-spoonful  of 
honey  and  the  same  quan- 
tity of  tar  mixed  in  milk, 
may  be  taken  once  or  twice 
a  day. 

A  decoction  of  elecam- 
pane, about  a  wine-glassful 
at  a  time,  once  a  day,  has 
been  found  very  useful  in 
this  disease,  especially 
among  females,  and  par- 
ticularly when  the  menses 
have  been  suppressed. 


ELSCAUPAHa. 


ASTHMA. 


The  symptoms  of  this  disease  are,  that  it  most  fre- 
quently comes  on  in  the  night,  being  often  preceded  by 


116 


DISEASES    OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN. 


general  debility ;  it  is  attended  with  indigestion,  heart- 
burn, wind,  itching  of  the  skin,  pain  over  the  eyes,  and 
sleepiness.  The  patient  is  usually  oppressed  with  tight- 
ness of  the  chest,  which  so  impedes  his  breathing,  that 
he  seems  threatened  with  an  extinction  of  life.     He  starts 

up  into  an  erect  posture,  and 
runs  to  the  window  for  aid;  he 
breathes  only  by  gasps,  and 
makes  a  wheezing  noise; 
speaks  with  difficulty,  and  feels 
a  propensity  to  coughing.  To- 
ward morning,  probably,  the 
paroxysm  goes  slowly  off,  but 
the  liability  of  its  frequent  re- 
turn is  very  great. 

Bleeding  has  often  been 
strongly  recommended  in  this 
disease;  but  in  almost  every 
case,  it  is  highly  improper: 
and  the  pulse  must  be  very 
full  indeed  to  justify  it  at  all. 
As  soon  as  the  symptoms  ap- 
pear, assume  the  erect  form,  place  the  feet  in  warm  water, 
and  take  a  decoction  of  catnip  or  pennyroyal  to  produce 
a  gentle  perspiration.  If  these  do  not  ease  the  patient, 
and  he  feels  a  sense  of  suffocation,  let  him  take  a  table- 
spoonful  of  the  tincture  of  lobelia,  in  a  cup  of  warm  tea 


BEXECA   SiNAKE-KOOT. 


DISEASES   OF  MEN  AND  WOMEN  117 

every  half  hour;  this  remedy  has  often  accomplished 
surprising  cures.  Inhale  the  steam  of  hot  vinegar  from 
the  spout  of  a  coffee  or  tea-pot.  Another  remedy  strongly 
recommended,  is  to  stew  over  a  slow  fire  half  an  ounce 
of  seneca  snake-root  well  bruised  with  a  hammer,  in  a 
pint  of  water,  till  it  is  reduced  to  half  a  pint;  of  this 
preparation  take  a  table-spoonful  every  ten  or  fifteen 
minutes,  and  drink  a  small  glass  of  warm  toddy.  Tha 
feet  may  also  with  advantage  be  bathed  with  the  toddy. 
The  disease  more  frequently  attacks  men  than  women, 
and  earnestly  would  we  recommend  them  to  sleep  on  hard 
mattresses,  to  eat  raw  eggs,  to  climb  the  steepest  hills,  and 
frequently  to  breathe  the  mountain  air.  Mustard  seed 
should  be  taken  twice  a  day  in  tea  or  broth,  a  tea-spoon- 
ful at  a  time,  morning  and  evening.  By  the  regular  usa 
of  this  remedy  Baron  Brady  says  he  cured  himself  of 
asthma  of  more  than  twenty  years'  standing.  Smoking 
tobacco  has  sometimes  given  relief  in  cases  of  asthma; 
and  for  such  a  purpose  its  use  may  be  allowed. 

It  scarcely  needs  to  be  said  that  the  food  should  be 
light  and  nutritious,  that  the  clothing  should  be  warm, 
and  that  damp  houses  and  damp  air  should  be  carefully 
avoided.  Ginger  tea,  acidulated  water,  and  good  Mocha 
coffee  may  be  drank  by  the  patient;  but  all  fruits,  except 
oranges,  should  be  avoided. 


DEOPSY. 

fiT  has  been  much  disputed  of  late  years 
^jfl  IjM     whether  this  is  itself  a  disease,  or  but  the 

symptom  of  some  other 
malady  lurking  in  the 
system.  It  is,  at  all 
events,  exceedingly 
dangerous,  and  not  to  be  neglected.  It  is  a  collection 
of  water  in  the  human  body,  arising  usually  from  ex- 
treme debility.  Sometimes  it  is  hereditary,  at  others  it 
is  brought  on  by  excessive  drinking,  high  living,  seden- 
tary habits,  want  of  exercise,  or  improper  medical  treat- 
ment. It  is  most  frequently  found  in  low  damp  neigh- 
borhoods, and  prevails  chiefly  in  the  winter  season. 

The  commencement  of  dropsy  is  usually  the  swelling 
of  the  feet  and  ancles  at  night,  passing  away  in  the  morn- 
ing; the  swelling  gradually  ascends,  and  fills  the  body, 
and  perhaps  even  the  head ;  in  the  latter  case  it  is  called 
hydrocephalus.  In  this  form  we  have  already  spoken  of  it 
in  connection  with  children,  under  the  proper  head.  In 
dropsy  the  breathing  generally  becomes  difficult,  the 
urine  is  only  found  in  small  quantity,  the  thirst  is  great, 
perspiration  is  greatly  obstructed,  and  the  bowels  suffer 
(118) 


DLSEASES   OF   MEN   AND   WOMEN.  119 

from  costiveness.  These  symptoms  are  followed  with 
torpor,  a  slow  wasting  fever,  and  a  troublesome  cough, 
which  latter  is  usually  a  proof  of  the  lungs  being  fatally 
diseased. 

When  indications  of  this  disease  begin  to  appear,  the 
patient  should  at  once  abstain  from  drinking,  especially 
such  things  as  weak  and  watery  liquors,  and  should 
quench  his  thirst  with  mustard-whey,  the  juice  of  lemons, 
oranges,  or  a  decoction  made  of  sorrel.  Recourse  should 
be  had  to  dry  stimulating  food,  and  such  as  shall  be  of  a 
diuretic  character.  We  may  mention  such  things  as 
toasted  bread,  the  flesh  of  wild  birds  or  animals  well 
roasted,  and  such  vegetables  as  mustard,  cresses,  horse- 
radish, slialots,  etc.  A  little  sea  biscuit  dipped  in  wine 
or  a  little  brandy,  will  sometimes  be  useful,  both  as  a 
nourishment  and  as  a  stimulant.  Beer  boiled  with  juniper 
berries  is  much  used  in  Germany  by  dropsical  patients. 
Exercise  is  essential  in  these  cases,  such  as  walking  or 
digging,  if  possible,  if  not  on  horseback.  The  bed  of  the 
patient  should  be  a  hard  mattress,  and  the  air  of  his 
apartments  warm  and  dry.  He  should  wear  flannel  next 
to  his  skin,  and  rub  his  whole  body  two  or  three  times 
a  day  with  a  flesh-brush,  or  a  coarse  dry  towel. 

As  to  medical  treatment,  this  should  vary  according  to 
the  constitution  of  the  patient,  the  variations  of  his  symp- 
toms, and  other  circumstances.  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush 
strongly  recommended  bleeding,  as  he  believed  the  dis- 


120 


DISEASES   OF  MEN   AND   WOMEN. 


ease  to  be  inflammatory.  In  almost  every  case  sharp 
emetics  and  purgatives  are  very  important.  Let  the 
adult  patient  take  as  an  emetic,  half  a  drachm  of  ipecac- 
uanha in  powder,  and  half  an  ounce  of  oxymel  of  squills 
carefully  mixed.  This  may  be  repeated  as  often  as  may 
be  found  necessary,  two  or  three  days  intervening  be- 
tween the  doses.  Take  a  cup  or  two  of  chamomile  tea 
to  work  it  off.     In  the  intervening  days,  take  early  in 

the  morning  half  a  drachm 
of  jalap  in  powder,  two 
drachms  of  cream  of  tartar, 
and  five  grains  of  calomel. 
If  this  purge  should  gripe 
the  bowels,  a  little  chicken 
broth  will  be  useful.  An 
ounce  of  cream  of  tartar 
dissolved  in  a  gallon  of 
water  may  be  taken  at  in- 
tervals during  the  day.  To 
promote  perspiration,  an 
adult  may  take  every  night 
^"•'^°'^-  at    bed-time,  four    or  five 

grains  of  camphor,  one  grain  of  opium,  and  as  much 
syrup  of  orange-peel  as  is  sufficient  to  make  them  into  a 
bolus.  During  the  niglit  he  may  also  take  a  small  cup 
of  wine-whey,  with  a  tea-spoonful  of  the  spirits  of  harts- 
horn in  it. 


DISEASES   OF   WEN   AND  WOMEN.  121 

Many  remarkable  cures  of  dropsy  have  been  effected 
by  using  a  decoction  of  burdock ;  which  is  made  by  boil- 
ing two  ounces  of  the  fresh  root  in  three  pints  of  water 
till  reduced  to  two,  which  should  be  drank  in  the  course 
of  two  days.  Dr.  Thornton  says  he  has  known  it  to  cure 
dropsy  where  other  more  powerful  medicines  had  failed. 

The  secretion  of  urine  may  also  be  greatly  promoted 
by  taking  a  drachm  of  nitre  every  morning  in  a  cupful 
of  ale.  The  bark  of  the  elder  is  also  of  great  use  in  this 
disease.  Take  two  handsful  of  the  green  or  inner  bark 
of  the  common  or  white  elder;  steep  them  in  two  quarts 
of  Lisbon,  Teneriflfe,  or  Madeira  wine  twenty-four  hours, 
and  take  a  gill  or  more,  as  the  stomach  will  bear  it,  every 
morning. 

When  the  disease  will  not  yield  to  any  of  these  reme- 
dies, but  tapping  becomes  necessary,  the  physician  must 
be  called  in;  and  this  should  not  be  too  long  delayed,  as 
the  operation  is  simple  and  safe,  and  in  connection  with 
the  course  we  have  prescribed,  will  generally  prove  suc- 
cessful, if  the  disease  be  attended  to  in  time. 


GOUT 


No  disease  so  readily  excites  a  smile  on  the  part  of 
friends  as  the  gout.     This  arises  from  the  fact  that  when 
11 


122  DISEASES  OF    MEN   AND  WOMEN. 

it  is  not  hereditary,  it  arises  from  idleness  and  excess  in 
eating  and  drinking.  Every  one,  therefore,  will  perceive 
that  the  grand  preservatives  are  exercise  and  temperance. 
Nor  is  it  unimportant  to  guard  those  who  are  liable  to 
its  agonies  against  excessive  study,  night-watching,  and 
violent  grief. 

A  fit  of  the  gout  is  generally  preceded  by  indigestion, 
drowsiness,  eructations  of  wind,  headache,  and  sometimes 
vomiting.  The  appetite,  for  a  day  or  two  before  the 
attack,  is  usually  very  keen;  there  is  a  slight  pain  in 
passing  the  urine,  and  more  or  less  of  fever  The  disease 
usually  commences  in  the  night,  when  the  patient  is 
seized  with  pains  in  his  great  toe,  this  spreads  among  the 
small  bones  of  his  foot,  and  reaches  the  heeh  By  this 
time  he  can  only  describe  his  pain  as  including  all  the 
torture  which  can  be  possibly  imagined.  He  is  stretched 
on  a  rack,  burnt,  squeezed,  gnawed,  and  almost  torn  in 
pieces.  After  enduring  all  this  for  some  twenty-four 
hours,  he  falls  asleep;  the  part  swells,  appears  red,  be- 
comes moist,  and  the  patient  sleeps  in  a  gentle  perspira- 
tion for  several  hours.  Toward  night,  however,  the 
paroxysm  returns,  and  he  must  suffer  till  the  various 
evacuations  carry  ojff  the  disease. 

Alas,  that  no  speedy  remedy  can  be  prescribed  in  this 
case.  "Patience  and  new  flannel,"  as  the  old  people  used 
to  say,  "  furnish  the  best  relief."  Lamb-skin  slippers  and 
gloves,  with  the  wool  turned  inward,  should  also  be  used 


DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN.  123 

All  external  applications  which  repel  the  matter  must  be 
avoided  as  fatally  dangerous.  The  food  taken  must  be 
light  and  nutritious,  but  not  too  much  unlike  the  gene- 
ral habits  of  the  patient.  A  glass  of  wine  may  be 
occasionally  taken,  but  a  tea-spoonful  of  the  spirits  of 
hartshorn  drank  in  a  cupful  of  wine- whey  twice  a  day 
will  be  better.  At  bed-time  a  tea-spoonful  of  the  volatile 
tincture  of  guaiacum  should  be  taken  in  a  large  draught 
of  warm  wine- whey.  This  will  greatly  promote  perspi- 
ration, the  most  valuable  of  all  remedies  for  gout.  The 
bowels  must  be  kept  open  by  gentle  laxatives,  and  the 
mind  must  be  preserved  from  anxiety. 

Earnestly  would  we  recommend  our  gouty  friends, 
when  they  once  recover  from  this  agonizing  disease,  to 
guard  against  its  return  by  constant  exercise,  fresh  air, 
temperate  habits,  and  frequently  taking  a  decoction  of 
Peruvian  bark,  cinnamon,  Virginian  snake-root,  and 
orange-peel. 


EHEUMATISM. 

Much  we  have  already  said  in  connection  with  gout 
applies  also  to  rheumatism.  Its  symptoms  are  similar. 
It  often  commences  with  chills  followed  by  fever,  attended 
with  hard,  full,  and  quick  pulse,  and  obstinate  constipa- 


124  DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND   WOMEN. 

tion  of  the  bowels.  It  generally  attacks  the  joints  with 
great  pain,  and  is  sometimes  attended  with  inflammation 
and  swelling.  The  pain  shoots  along  the  courses  of  the 
muscles,  and  often  changes  its  seat.  The  tongue  is  white, 
the  urine  high  colored,  and  the  fever  is  sometimes  fol- 
lowed by  profuse  perspiration.  Physicians  have  dis- 
tinguished the  disease  into  acute  and  chronic;  that  is  to 
say,  with  or  without  a  fever 

This  disease  is  brought  on  by  an  obstructed  perspira- 
tion, caused  by  exposure  to  cold  and  wet,  by  sleeping  in 
damp  beds  or  in  a  current  of  air,  exposure  to  night  air, 
by  an  improper  change  from  a  heavy  to  a  ligbt  dress,  by 
excessive  evacuations,  or  an  injudicious  use  of  ardent 
spirits  or  mercury. 

Inflammatory  rheumatism  must  be  treated  very  much  as 
an  acute  fever.  If  the  patient  be  young  and  vigorous, 
he  should  be  bled ;  and  if  necessary,  the  operation  should 
be  repeated  after  the  lapse  of  some  twenty  hours.  A 
purgative  should  then  be  given:  for  an  adult  person,  take 
fifteen  grains  of  calomel  and  twenty  grains  of  jalap ;  mix 
them  well  together  in  any  kind  of  syrup,  or  in  sugar  and 
water ;  after  which  the  patient  should  take  gruel,  or  warm 
balm,  sage,  or  dittany  tea,  to  produce,  if  possible,  a  gentle 
moisture  on  the  skin.  After  the  proper  evacuations,  the 
patient  should  use  the  tepid  bath,  or  cloths  dipped  in  hot 
water  may  be  applied  to  his  body,  great  care  being  exer- 
cised lest  he  take  cold.     He  should  also  take,  for  a  few 


DISEASES  OF   MEN   AND   WOMEN.  125 

nights,  in  a  cup  of  wine- whey,  a  drachm  of  the  cream  of 
tartar,  and  half  a  drachm  of  gum  guaiacum  in  powder. 

The  chronic  rheumatism  is  not  attended  with  much  fever, 
and  is  generally  confined  to  some  particular  part  of  the 
body,  having  little  inflammation  or  swelling.  A  little 
powdered  Indian  turnip  taken  once  or  twice  a  day  in 
honey,  or  sugar  and  water,  is 
an  excellent  remedy  in  this 
disease.  If  the  patient,  by 
the  long  continuance  of  the 
disease,  has  become  greatly 
debilitated,  he  should  use 
tonic  medicines  to  stimulate 
the  system.  Dogwood  bark, 
wild  cherry-tree  bark,  and 
poplar  bark,  in  equal  quan- 
tities, may  be  made  into  a  tea, 
and  a  wine-glassful  be  taken 
three  times  a  day.  Eight  or 
ten  drops  of  elixir  of  vitriol, 
in  a  wine-glass  of  water,  may 
be  taken  three  times  a  day  with  advantage.  Mustard 
or  horseradish  should  be  taken  by  the  patient  with  his 
food;  and  above  all  things,  he  should  wear  warm  clothing 
and  frequently  use  the  flesh-brush. 

11* 


IMDIAK  TUBNIP. 


LUMBAGO. 


HEONIC  rheumatism  in  the  lumbar 
region,  or  loins,  is  called  lumbago,  and 
gives  so  much  pain  that  the  patient 
can  scarcely  stand  upright ;  nor 
is  he  easier,  even  when  in  bed. 
When  this  pain  attacks  the 
hip-joint,  it  takes  the  name,  of 
Sciatica.  In  both  cases  the 
treatment  must  be  the  same.  Blisters  have  been  strongly 
recommended,  and  may  often  be  used  with  advantage; 
as  may  also  the  external  use  of  turpentine  and  the  essen- 
tial oil  of  sassafras,  mixed  with  guaiacum.  If  these  fail, 
the  part  may  be  bathed  with  the  tincture  of  capsicum,  or 
Cayenne  pepper;  when  the  pain  is  removed,  let  a  strength- 
ening plaster  be  applied. 

The  tepid-bath  in  these  cases  is  invaluable,  and  we  pre- 
fer it  to  any  other.  Some  physicians,  however,  have 
preferred  the  cold  bath  as  the  best  means  of  preventing  its 
recurrence ;  for  which  purpose,  also  flannel  should  always 
be  worn  next  the  skin. 


a26) 


ERYSIPELAS,  OR  ST.  ANTHONY'S  FIRE 


^»t» 


HIS  disease  generally  arises  from  cold 
taken  after  the  body  has  been  greatly 
heated,  as  from  sleeping  on  damp 
ground  after  severe  exercise.  Some- 
times it  follows  violent  passions,  or 
the  obstructions  of  the  natural  evacua- 
tions. Its  usual  symptoms  are  an 
inflammation  on  some  part  of  the  skin,  accompanied  with 
violent  heat,  pain,  and  a  scarlet  color.  Not  unfrequently 
the  patient  is  very  drowsy,  and  complains  of  an  itching 
sensation  and  great  thirst. 

Erysipelas  is  a  disease  which  often  rapidly  extends  it- 
self. Commencing  with  a  single  blotch,  it  will  sometimes 
soon  cover  the  whole  body,  making  the  skin  shine,  and 
producing  so  much  pain  that  the  patient  cannot  bear  to 
be  touched.  The  disease  often  entirely  changes,  leaving 
one  part  of  the  body  for  another.  When  it  attacks  the 
face  and  head,  and  produces  considerable  swelling,  the 
case  becomes  daugerous;  though  it  is  less  frequently  fatal 
in  this  country  than  in  some  parts  of  Europe. 

On  an  attack  of  this  disease,  let  the  patient  at  once  use 
the  tepid  foot-bath,  and  take  aperient  medicine.    This 

(127) 


128  DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN. 

may  be  composed  of  salts,  senna,  and  a  few  grains  of 
calomel.  An  emetic  is  sometimes  necessary  to  cleanse 
the  system.  Take  equal  quantities  of  antimonial  wine 
and  sweet  spirits  of  nitre,  in  doses  of  a  tea-spoonful  in  a 
glass  of  cold  water.  Sprinkle  the  body  with  fine  starch 
or  wheaten  flour,  which  will  greatly  assist  to  allay  the 
irritation ;  or  a  tea-spoonful  of  sugar  of  lead  dissolved  in 
a  pint  and  a  half  of  cold  water  may  be  used  to  wash  the 
body  twice  or  three  times  a  day.  If  the  disease  does  not 
abate,  the  patient  should  be  bled  ;  but  by  all  means  avoid 
the  common  poultices.  Many  physicians  contend  that 
erysipelas  is  contagious ;  it  is  therefore  important  not  to 
sleep  with  the  patient,  nor  idly  to  visit  such  who  are  thus 
afflicted. 

The  New  Haven  Palladium  records  a  case  of  the  com 
plete  cure  of  erysipelas  by  the  simple  application  of  raw 
cranberries,  pounded  fine.  The  patient  was  a  young  lady, 
one  side  of  whose  face  had  become  so  swollen  and  in- 
flamed, that  the  eye  had  become  closed  and  the  pain  ex- 
cessive. A  poultice  of  cranberries  was  applied ;  and,  after 
several  changes,  the  pain  ceased,  the  inflammation  sub 
sided,  and,  in  the  course  of  a  couple  of  days,  every  vestige 
of  the  disease  had  disappeared. 

Every  one  must  see  that  the  food  and  drink  of  the 
patient  should  be  light  and  cooling;  in  the  event,  however, 
of  the  spirits  being  low,  and  there  be  great  exhaustion 
of  strength,  a  little  wine  or  other  cordial*  may  be  given 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND   WOMEN.  129 

in  gruel  or  sago,  great  care  being  taken  that  the  sufferer 
be  not  over -heated. 


CRAMP. 


Few  diseases  less  need  description  than  this.  It  is  a 
painful  spasm  of  the  calf  of  the  leg,  the  muscles  of  the 
toes,  or  the  organs  of  the  stomach.  Its  usual  causes  are 
indigestion,  irritation,  debility,  or  sometimes  only  the 
sudden  stretching  of  the  limbs. 

If  the  cramp  be  seated  in  the  legs,  it  is  often  relieved 
by  simply  standing  up,  which  act,  by  throwing  the  weight 
of  the  body  on  the  toes,  forcibly  extends  the  muscles,  and 
thus  removes  the  spasm. 

If  the  disease  arise  from  indigestion,  or  acidity  of  the 
stomach,  a  pill  should  be  given  every  night  composed  of 
half  a  grain  of  opium,  six  grains  of  rhubarb,  and  the 
same  quantity  of  prepared  chalk.  Ten  grains  of  the  rust 
of  steel  should  also  be  given  every  morning  and  noon. 

Cramp  of  the  stomach  should  not  be  neglected  for  a 
moment,  as  it  is  highly  dangerous.  It  most  frequently 
prevails  arrong  the  aged,  the  nervous,  and  the  gouty. 
The  patient  is  often  disposed  to  vomit,  and  let  this  be 
carefully  encouraged  by  copious  draughts  of  warm  water, 
or  weak   chamomile  tea,  till  the  stomach  is   perfectly 


130  DISEASES  OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN. 

cleansed.  Foment  the  stomach  with  cloths  dipped  in  hot 
water,  or  apply  to  it  bladders  filled  with  hot  milk  and 
water.  An  infusion  of  red  pepper  may  be  given,  or  a 
dose  of  ether  or  laudanum.  Tlie  anodyne  balsam  may  also 
be  rubbed  on  the  part  affected,  which  should  be  accom- 
panied with  friction,  either  by  a  flesh-brush  or  flannel. 
And  when  all  these  remedies  fail,  a  copious  bleeding  may 
possibly  remove  the  spasm.  Blistering  or  mustard 
plasters  may  be  applied  to  the  ankles;  and  the  bowels 
must  be  kept  well  open.  Persons  liable  to  the  cramp 
should  wear  stockings  by  night  as  well  as  by  day,  and 
should  occasionally  rub  the  part  liable  to  disease  with 
camphorated  oil. 

Cramp  often  attacks  women  in  their  legs  and  thighs 
about  the  fourth  month  of  pregnancy,  or  even  later.  It 
would  be  wise,  when  it  can  be  done,  to  consult  a  physician; 
but  if  this  cannot  be,  let  the  patient  take  a  cooling  purge 
of  salts,  or  some  powdered  sulphur.  Let  the  parts  be 
rubbed  with  cold  vinegar,  or  with  camphor  dissolved  in  oil. 
Be  very  careful  to  avoid  all  food  difficult  of  digestion. 


CHOLERA  MOEBUS. 

This  disease  is  a  violent   purging  and  vomiting  of 
bilious  matter,  attended  with  gripes,  thirst,  sickness,  and 


DISEASES   OF    MEN  AND   WOMEN.  131 

a  constant  wish  to  visit  the  water-closet.  It  is  most  fre- 
quent in  autumn,  and  comes  on  suddenly;  in  warm 
climates  it  is  prevalent  more  or  less  through  the  whole 
year,  though  sudden  transition  from  heat  to  cold  is  the 
most  dangerous  occasion  for  its  power.  It  is  brought  on 
by  the  redundancy  of  bile,  eating  indigestible  food  or  un- 
ripe and  cold  fruits.  Damp  air,  wet  feet,  poisons,  or 
violent  passions  are  the  causes  for  its  existence.  It  is 
generally  preceded  by  heartburn,  flatulence,  and  pain  of 
the  stomach  and  bowels ;  and  as  the  disease  advances, 
the  pulse  often  sinks  so  low  as  to  be  imperceptible;  the 
extremities  are  cold,  and  often  covered  with  a  clammy 
sweat;  the  urine  is  obstructed,  and  there  is  palpitation 
of  the  heart. 

The  reader  will  readily  see  that  these  are  dangerous 
symptoms,  especially  when  they  are  followed  by  violent 
hiccupping,  fainting,  and  convulsions  ;  these  latter  indeed 
are  the  sad  signs  of  approaching  death. 

In  the  treatment  of  this  disease  no  time  should  be  lost. 
The  efforts  of  nature  to  throw  off  the  offensive  matter 
must  be  aided.  Let  the  patient  drink  freely  of  whey, 
warm  water,  barley-water,  thin  water-gruel,  or,  what  is 
better  still,  weak  chicken  broth.  Apply  to  the  stomach 
hot  cloths  dipped  in  a  decoction  of  poppy-heads  slightly 
bruised,  with  the  addition  of  one-fourth  of  the  spirits  of 
camphor;  renewing  the  cloths  as  they  become  cold.  Or 
a  little  opium  may  be  used  as  an  external  embrocation. 


132  DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND   "VTOMEN. 

In  addition  to  these  apply  a  warm  poultice  made  of  garden 
mint  well  stewed;  or  a  poultice  made  of  mustard  and 
strong  vinegar,  applied  to  the  stomach,  will  be  found  of 
great  service.  In  due  time  the  vomiting  may  be  stopped 
by  a  decoction  of  toasted  oat-bread.  The  bread  should 
be  toasted  till  it  is  of  a  brown  color,  and  then  boiled  in 
spring  water.  If  this  cannot  be  had,  wheat  bread  or  oat- 
meal may  be  used  in  its  stead.  If  this  does  not  stop  the 
vomiting  and  purging,  two  table-spoonsful  of  saline  julep 
with  ten  drops  of  laudanum  may  be  taken  every  hour. 
The  evacuations,  however,  should  not  be  stopped  till 
the  patient  begins  to  feel  weak. 

Nourishing  diet  should  be  taken  by  the  patient ;  and 
a  little  wine  with  any  kind  of  bitters  ought  to  be  taken 
once  or  twice  a  day ;  or  a  wine  glass  of  cold  chamomile 
tea,  three  or  four  times  a  day ;  or  ten  drops  of  elixir  of 
vitriol  three  times  a  day;  or  tea  made  of  black,  or  Vir- 
ginia snake-root.  Flannel  ought  to  be  worn  next  the 
skin  of  the  patient,  and  the  warm  bath  should  never  be 
forgotten. 


MALIGNANT  CHOLERA. 

Scarcely  any  disease   has,  within   our  remembrance 
been  so  awfully  fatal  as  this.    Tens  of  thousands  have  risea 


DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN.  133 

in  the  morning  in  health,  and  have  been  literally  laid  in 
their  graves  before  midnight.  Long  did  it  altogether  bid 
defiance  to  medicine — and  though  far  more  have  been 
saved  from  its  fatal  results  in  later  years  than  formerly, 
even  still  the  most  eminent  physicians  are  not  fully  agreed 
either  as  to  its  origin,  its  peculiar  character,  or  the  best 
method  of  its  cure.  Unquestionably  the  best  means  of 
preservation  from  it  are  temperance,  cleanliness,  and 
regularity  of  habits;  and  yet  in  thousands  of  cases,  even 
those  most  distinguished  for  these  things  have  fallen  as 
its  victims.  We  suspect,  however,  that  in  all  cases  the 
cholera  distinguished  as  Asiatic  or  epidemic,  has  seized 
persons  who  have  belonged  to  one  of  the  classes  we  have 
named,  or  who  have  been  marked  by  nervous  debility, 
timid  and  fearful.  Unquestionably  the  best  preservatives 
against  the  disease  are  pure  air,  good  substantial  living, 
temperate  habits,  strict  cleanliness,  and  a  tranquil  mind. 
Those  attacked  with  cholera  complain  of  weakness,  as 
though  they  had  been  greatly  fatigued  with  labor.  They 
often  feel,  for  a  short  period,  uneasiness  in  the  stomach, 
though  not  so  severe  as  to  create  alarm.  The  bowels  are 
acted  on,  probably,  from  two  to  twelve  times  a  day, 
though  without  any  considerable  pain;  the  countenance 
looks  sharp,  and  there  is  sometimes  felt  a  little  sickness 
at  the  stomach.  These  symptoms  are  frequently  neglect- 
ed by  those  who  have  not  been  accustomed  to  see  the 
disease,  and  witb  no  very  great  changes,  last  some  eight 
12 


134  DISEASES    OF   MEN  AND   WOMEN. 

or  ten  dajs.  As  tlie  evacuations  of  the  bowels  continue, 
they  increase,  and  become  less  natural  in  their  color,  till 
thej  resemble  dirty  water.  This  is  succeeded  by  head- 
ache, cramp  of  the  toes,  fingers,  and  stomach,  swimming 
of  the  head,  and  ringing  in  the  ears.  Sometimes  the 
bowels,  for  two  or  three  days,  become  costive,  and  then 
the  looseness  we  have  already  described  returns  with 
sickness  at  the  stomach  and  vomiting. 

Every  one  must  see  that  the  most  able  physician  should 
in  cases  like  these  be  at  once  sent  for.  If  neglected 
hitherto,  the  symptoms  become  still  more  dangerous. 
The  patient  feels  faint,  the  skin  becomes  cold,  moving  the 
limbs  seems  impossible,  the  lips,  the  nails,  (and  sometimes 
the  whole  body)  become  blue,  the  feet  and  hands  assume 
a  sodden  appearance,  and  the  skin  seems  really  dead.  The 
whole  system  appears  unnatural,  very  little  urine,  bile, 
or  saliva  is  secreted;  the  breath  is  quite  cold,  and  the 
evacuations  of  the  bowels  resemble  rice-water.  Withal 
the  mind  maintains  clearness  and  calmness. 

Even  this  slight  sketch  will  present  to  the  reader  a 
horrid  picture;  yet  Dr.  Annesley,  whose  experience  in 
India,  when  this  epidemic  was  awfully  prevalent,  tells  us 
that  if  it  be  taken  at  its  commencement,  or  within  an 
hour  after  the  disorder  attacks  you,  it  is  as  manageable  as 
any  other  acute  disease;  but  the  rapidity  with  which  it 
often  runs  through  its  course,  requires  the  most  active 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND   WOMEN.  135 

exertions  before  it  can  be  checked,  and  the  loss  of  an 
hour  may  cause  the  loss  of  life. 

Let  the  patient  be  put  into  a  warm  bath,  and  while 
there  bled  freely  from  the  arm;  then  let  him  be  put 
quietly  into  a  warm  bed,  and  the  flow  of  blood  from  the 
arm  encouraged  by  friction,  or  the  application  of  cloths 
wrung  in  hot  water  applied  to  the  part.  This  treatment 
of  itself  has  often  effected  a  cure,  but  not  less  than  from 
twenty  to  thirty  ounces  of  blood  should  be  thus  taken, 
even  though  the  pulse  at  the  beginning  of  the  bleeding 
may  have  been  very  low. 

Mustard  plasters  should  be  applied  to  the  feet,  or  bags 
of  hot  sand  or  mush;  and  brandy  or  other  spirits,  such 
as  wine  or  hartshorn,  should  be  given  internally  to  stimu- 
late the  system.  Turpentine  may  be  used  with  advantage 
externally,  and  some  twenty  or  twenty-five  grains  of 
calomel  taken  internally.  The  body  should  be  almost 
constantly  rubbed  with  a  warm  hand  or  flannel,  and 
sprinkled  occasionally  with  a  little  camphorated  oil,  or 
powdered  starch.  Warmth  is  essential  to  recovery,  and 
some  physicians  strongly  recommend  opium,  which  must 
only  be  administered  by  medical  skill. 

Other  remedies  have  often  been  found  useful.  When 
the  stomach  is  too  weak  to  bear  spirits,  give  a  strong 
decoction  of  cloves,  or  cinnamon,  of  ginger  or  Cayenne 
pepper,  say  a  table-spoonful  every  half  hour.  We  have 
known  a  preparation  very  useful  composed  of  three  table- 


136  DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN. 

spoonsful  of  Cayenne  pepper  and  two  table-spoonsful  of 
fine  salt  beat  well  together,  and  then  put  into  half  a  pint 
of  boiling  water.  "When  cold,  strain  off  the  infusion, 
and  add  to  it  an  equal  quantity  of  strong  vinegar.  Give 
a  table-spoonful  every  half  hour. 

If  the  patient  happily  should  recover,  extreme  care 
"will  be  necessary,  for  he  will  long  be  in  danger  of  a  re- 
lapse. Let  him  not  act  as  though  he  were  ivell  too  soon. 
Let  him  be  very  cautious  of  an  early  return  to  solid  food ; 
but  live  for  a  while  on  gruel,  soups,  mush  and  milk,  rice, 
and  chocolate.  Garden  vegetables,  except  white  potatoes, 
should  be  avoided. 


DIARRHOEA. 

This  can  only  be  regarded  as  a  disease  when  it  goes  to 
an  extreme;  otherwise  it  is  a  healthy  evacuation,  pressed 
on  by  nature  to  free  itself  from  a  load  which  has  become 
oppressive.  Every  one  knows  that  diarrhoea  itself  is  a 
violent  purging  without  fever  or  pain ;  usually,  however, 
attended  with  loss  of  appetite.  It  more  frequently  pre- 
vails among  the  aged,  the  intemperate,  and  those  of  weak 
constitutions.  Not  a  few  persons  are  constitutionally 
liable  to  its  attacks,  but  in  no  case  is  it  contagious. 

The  general  causes  of  diarrhoea  are  the  use  of  acid 


DISEASES   OF   MEN"   AND  WOMEN. 


137 


focd  or  drinks,  the  accumulation  of  bile,  obstructed  per- 
spiration, drinking  bad  water,  worms,  or  indulgence  in 
violent  passions. 

Its  proper  treatment  must  be  governed  as  much  as 
possible  by  the  cause  wbich  produced  it.  If  it  arises 
from  a  cold  or  obstructed 
perspiration,  let  the  pa- 
tient keep  warm,  drink 
freely  of  weak  diluting 
liquors,  use  the  tepid  foot- 
bath, and  wear  flannel 
next  to  the  skin.  A 
little  snake-root  tea  will 
also  be  found  useful.  If 
the  disease  be  attended 
with  griping,  make  a  de- 
coction of  garden  mint, 
in  which,  while  quite  hot, 
cloths  should  be  wrung, 
and  applied  to  the  stom- 
ach. In  all  cases  of  diar- 
rhoea, friction,  or  the  use 
of  the  flesh-brush,  should  be  frequently  resorted  to. 

We  have  known  very  speedy  relief  in  a  case  of  thia 

kind  by  twelve  drops  of  laudanum  given  in  half  a  gill  of 

the  best  brandy ;  or  what  is  better,  if  it  can  be  obtained, 

in  spirituous  cinnamon-water.     If  it  should  fail  in  the 

12* 


PENNTKOTAU 


138  DISEASES  OF   MEN  AND  "WOMEN. 

first  instance,  it  may  be  repeated  in  about  an  hour  after 
the  first  dose. 

"When  the  disease  arises  from  excess  or  repletion,  an 
emetic  composed  of  half  a  drachm  of  ipecacuanha  may 
be  given,  -which  should  be  well  worked  off  by  warm  water 
or  very  thin  gruel.  A  day  or  two  after  this  emetic  baa 
been  taken,  if  the  looseness  still  continues,  half  a  drachm 
of  rhubarb  may  be  taken  once  or  twice  a  day.  If  diar- 
rhoea arises  from  worms,  the  remedies  we  have  prescribed 
under  that  head  should  be  used.  And  should  it  origi- 
nate in  violent  passions,  neither  emetics  or  purgative 
medicines  are  proper,  excepting  in  extremely  small  doses. 
Ten  drops  of  liquid  laudanum,  may  be  taken  in  a  cup  oi 
valerian  or  pennyroyal  tea,  every  eight  or  ten  hours,  till 
the  symptoms  abate.  In  obstinate  cases,  the  jelly  of 
slippery-elm  and  blackberry,  in  equal  parts,  may  be  ad- 
vantageously used,  especially  if  mixed  with  a  little 
powdered  ginger  or  cinnamon. 

Every  reader  will  see  the  propriety  of  care  as  to  diet. 
Avoid  all  indigestible  food  and  acid  fruits  or  drink. 
Arrow-root,  sago,  rice  milk,  a  boiled  chicken,  or  a  lightly 
broiled  mutton-chop  may  be  sometimes  allowed;  and  if  a 
stimulant  be  needed,  infuse  into  a  little  water  a  tea-spoon- 
ful or  two  of  French  or  Catawba  brandy  without  sugar. 
Above  all  avoid  wet  feet,  take  moderate  exercise,  wear 
flannel  next  the  skin,  and  keep  the  mind  tranquil  and 
quiet. 


DYSENTEEY. 

HIS  disease  is  most  prevalent  in  marsliy 
places,  where,  after  hot  or  dry  summers, 
it  often  becomes  epidemic.  Those  who 
are  exposed  to  night  air,  who  reside  in 
damp  and  close  houses,  or  are  confined 
in  the  holds  of  ships,  in  hospitals  or 
in  jails,  are  most  frequently  exposed  to 
its  attacks.  It  is  sometimes  caused  by  the  same  means 
which  bring  on  diarrhoea;  such  as  damp  beds,  wet  clothes, 
unwholesome  food,  etc.,  as  well  as  by  violent  cathartics, 
unripe  fruit,  and,  indeed,  whatever  increases  the  natural 
irritability  of  the  intestines.  But  it  is  most  frequently 
communicated  by  infection,  which  should  induce  great 
caution  in  approaching  those  who  are  thus  afflicted. 

Dysentery  is  usually  first  indicated  by  cold  shiverings 
and  fever;  the  diseases  of  the  bowels  first  show  themselves, 
such  as  costiveness,  flatulence,  severe  gripings,  frequent 
wishes  to  visit  the  water-closet,  though  nothing  is  evacua- 
ted but  slime  and  blood,  or  a  fluid  resembling  beef- brine. 
These  symptoms  are  attended  by  loss  of  appetite,  nausea 
and  vomiting,  quick  and  weak  pulse,  burning  heat,  and 
intolerable  bearing  down  of  the  secret  parts,  dry  skin,  some- 

(139) 


140  DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND   WO:\tEN. 

times  livid  spots  on  the  breast,  usually  followed  in  such 
cases  with  a  fatal  termination.  After  a  few  days'  con- 
tinuance of  this  disease,  the  evacuations  of  the  bowels 
become  a  mixture  of  blood  and  matter;  and  the  severe 
pain  arising  from  straining  to  evacuate,  will  often  pro- 
duce a  rupture  in  the  bowels,  causing  agonizing  torture. 
If  the  patient  have  a  moist  skin,  sediment  in  his  urine, 
and  a  good  share  of  strength  during  the  disease,  he  mav 
rejoice  in  favorable  symptoms. 

If  the  patient  be  hale  and  vigorous  when  the  disease 
attacks  him,  the  loss  of  a  little  blood,  especially  if  there 
is  much  fever,  will  be  of  great  service ;  but  if  there  ex- 
ists much  weakness,  bleeding  must  not  be  resorted  to. 
Give  the  adult  patient,  first  of  all,  half  a  drachm  of 
ipecacuanha  in  powder,  to  cleanse  the  stomach,  working 
it  off  with  weak  chamomile  tea.  When  this  has  ceased, 
take  one  ounce  of  Epsom  salts,  half  an  ounce  of  manna, 
and  two  and  a  half  ounces  each  of  warm  water  and  pep- 
permint-water, and  give  four  table-spoonsful  three  or 
four  times  a  day;  or  if  the  patient  prefer  it,  let  him  take 
one  ounce  of  castor  oil  in  one  dose.  If  these  remedies 
do  not  succeed,  give  the  patient  four  times  a  day  a  piece, 
about  the  size  of  a  nutmeg,  of  the  extract  of  catechu, 
drinking  after  it  a  tea-cupful  of  the  decoction  of  logwood. 
The  tepid  bath  will  be  found  of  great  service  in  this 
disease. 

Another  excellent  remedy  for  dysentery,  which  com- 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN.  141 

mends  itself,  botli  by  its  simplicity,  and  by  tbe  fact  that 
its  ingredients  are  at  every  body's  command,  at  almost 
any  hour,  may  be  thus  prepared : — 

Take  one  table-spoonful  of  common  salt  and  mix  it 
with  two  table-spoonsful  of  vinegar,  and  pour  upon  it  a 
half  pint  of  water,  either  hot  or  cold,  only  let  it  be  taken 
cold.  A  wine-glassful  of  this  mixture  in  the  above  pro- 
portions, taken  every  half  hour,  will  be  found  quite  effica- 
cious in  curing  dysentery.  If  the  stomach  be  nauseated, 
a  wine-glassful  taken  every  hour  will  suffice.  For  a 
child,  the  quantity  should  be  a  tea-spoonful  of  salt  and 
one  of  vinegar  in  a  tea-cupful  of  water. 

Blackberries  are  extremely  useful  in  cases  of  dysentery ; 
to  eat  the  berries  is  very  healthy.  Tea  made  of  the  roots 
and  leaves  is  very  beneficial;  and  a  syrup  made  of  the 
berries  is  still  better. 

Since  we  began  to  write  this,  we  have  received  from  a 
gentleman  in  Baltimore,  what  he  assures  us  is  an  infallihU 
remedy  for  dysentery.  Take  sixteen  grains  of  rhubarb, 
thirty  grains  of  salts  of  tartar,  forty- eight  grains  of  pre- 
pared chalk,  four  drops  of  oil  of  spearmint,  twenty  drops 
of  laudanum,  and  a  tea-cupful  of  clear  soft  water,  and 
put  them  into  a  bottle,  and  shake  them  together  well  be- 
fore you  use  the  preparation.  The  proper  dose  for  an 
adult  is  a  table-spoonful  in  a  little  water  sweetened  with 
lump  sugar,  three  or  four  times  a  day.     For  a  child  one 


142  DISEASES   OF    MEN   AND  WOMEN. 

tea-spoonful  three  times  a  day,  given  in  the  same  manner. 
Keep  it  ia  a  cool  place  to  prevent  it  from  becoming  acid. 

If  the  disease  be  yet  obstinate,  prepare  an  infusion  of 
senna  five  ounces,  tartrate  of  potash  one  ounce,  and  of 
tartarized  antimony,  two  grains;  mix  them  together,  and 
take  four  table-spoonsful  every  three  hours,  till  the 
bowels  are  sufficiently  moved. 

Be  careful  of  regimen ;  great  cleanliness  and  much  fresh 
air  are  demanded.  The  room  should  often  be  sprinkled 
with  vinegar  or  some  other  strong  acid  ;  the  spirits  should 
be  kept  cheerful,  and  much  attention  should  be  paid  to 
diet.  Apples  boiled  in  milk,  light  pudding,  broth  made 
from  the  gelatinous  parts  of  sheep,  and  flour  boiled  till 
very  hard,  and  then  grated  into  warm  milk,  are  all  good; 
so  also  are  ri;pe  fruits,  and  whey,  and  barley-water. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BLADDER 

Every  one  will  see  that  the  diseases  which  affect  so 
tender  a  part  as  the  bladder,  must  partake  of  a  serious 
character,  and  demand  the  most  prompt  attention.  We 
refer  to  them  in  order: — 

Bloody  Urine. — This  is  a  discharge  of  blood  from  the 
vessels  of  the  kidneys,  or  bladder,  arising  from  their  be- 
ing enlarged  or  broken.     When  pure  blood  is  voided 


DISEASES  OF   MElf  AND  WOMEN.  148 

suddenly,  without  pain,  and  in  continuance,  it  proceeds 
from  the  kidneys;  but  if  it  be  in  a  small  quantity,  of  a 
dark  color,  and  is  emitted  with  heat  and  pain  about  the 
bottom  of  the  stomach,  it  proceeds  from  the  bladder. 
If  the  coats  of  the  bladder  be  hurt  by  a  stone  formed 
within  it,  it  is  attended  with  the  most  acute  pain  and  a 
stoppage  of  urine. 

In  all  these  cases  consult  a  physician.  If  there  be 
stone  in  the  bladder,  nothing  will  give  relief  but  a  surgi- 
cal operation;  which,  happily,  is  far  less  dangerous  at 
present  than  it  was  some  thirty  years  ago. 

If  there  be  plethora,  or  great  fullness,  and  symptoms 
of  inflammation,  bleeding  will  be  necessary,  and  the 
bowels  must  be  kept  well  open  by  such  medicines  as  cream 
of  tartar,  rhubarb,  manna,  or  castor  oil. 

"When  bloody  urine  proceeds  from  the  dissolved  state 
of  the  blood,  it  is  the  symptom  of  some  malignant  dis- 
ease, as  small-pox  or  putrid  fever.  In  this  case,  take  the 
confection  of  red  roses  one  ounce,  warm  infusion  of  roses 
one  pint ;  macerate  for  half  an  hour  and  then  strain  them; 
then  take  of  this  strained  liquor  thirteen  drachms,  and 
diluted  sulphuric  acid  ten  drops;  of  these  make  a  mixture 
and  take  in  three  parts  during  the  day. 

The  diet  of  the  patient  must  be  of  a  cool  kind.  He 
stiould  take  three  ounces  of  marsh-mallow  roots,  and 
half  an  ounce  of  liquorice,  and  boil  them  in  two  quarts 
of  water  till  reduced  to  one  quart;  into  this  liquid  put 


144 


DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN. 


two  ounces  of  gum  arabic,  and  half  an  ounce  of  purified 
nitre;  well  strain  the  whole,  and  take  a  tea-cupful  four 
or  five  times  a  day. 


The  great  flow  of  urine,  and  the  impossibility  of  stop- 
ping it,  often  called  diabetes^  arises  from  the  gradual  re- 
laxation of  the  sphinc- 
ter of  the  bladder,  or 
from  injuries  received 
about  its   neck,  or   in 
females,  from  the  pres- 
sure of  the  womb  when 
in  a  state  of  pregnancy. 
This  disease  is  seldom 
attended  with  pain,  but 
a    voracious     appetite 
usually  accompanies  it. 
In  sucb  a  case,  a  blister 
should    be   applied   to 
the  small  part  of  the 
back,    and    a    James's 
Dover  powder  given  at 
night  to  produce  perspiration.     If  you  cannot  obtain  this 
powder  elsewhere,  you  can  make  it  yourself  by  taking 
one  drachm  of  ipecacuanha  powder,  and  the  same  quan- 
tity of  opium  in  fine  powder,  add  to  them  one  ounce  of 
finely  pounded  saltpetre ;  mix  them  well  together.     The 


BATBEBRT,   OR  WAX  MTETLB. 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND   WOMEN. 


145 


dose  is  from  five  to  twenty  grains,  as  the  patient's  strength 
or  stomach  will  bear  it.  Dr.  Beach  recommends  a  strong 
tea  or  decoction  of  equal  quantities  of  wild  cherry-tree 
bark,  hemlock  bark,  and  bayberry  bark;  which  should 
be  bruised  or  pulverized,  well  boiled,  and  a  tea-cupful 
be  taken  twice  a  day.  Use  the  tepid  bath  occasionally, 
and  briskly  rub  the  body  for  half  an  hour  twice  a  day 
with   a   flesh-brush 


'«5.'t5» 


or  coarse  towel. 
Alum  dissolved  in 
water,  and  given 
twice  a  day  as  the 
Btomach  will  bear 
it,  will  be  service- 
able. Chalybeate 
water,  when  it  can 
be  obtained,  should 
be  drank;  as  should 
also  a  little  weak 
lime-water,  or  soda- 
water.  Or  often, 
better  still,  a  tea-spoonful  of  citric  acid,  and  the  same 
quantity  of  bi-carbonate  of  soda,  mixed  in  a  glass  of 
water  and  drauk  while  in  a  state  of  effervescence. 


■WIU)  CAEEOT. 


JSiranguary,  or  the  suppression   of  urine,  arises  from 
various   causes,    such   as   obstructions    in   the   urethra, 
13  J 


146  DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND   WOMEN. 

blisters,  wounds,  bruises,  etc.  If  the  pulse  be  full  and 
feverish,  the  patient  must  lose  some  blood,  and  take  an 
ounce  of  castor  oil.  He  should  also  drink  barley- water, 
flaxseed  tea,  decoction  of  marsh-mallows  or  parsley-roots, 
or  water-melon  seeds.  You  may  administer  also,  with 
great  advantage,  a  remedy  composed  of  one  ounce  of 
sweet  spirits  of  nitre  and  two  drachms  each  of  laudanum 
and  antimonial  wine.  Give  a  table-spoonful  in  some 
cooling  drink,  such  as  gruel  or  barley  water,  and  repeat 
it  every  hour  if  necessary.  Walking  on  a  cold  wet  floor, 
or  dashing  cold  water  on  the  legs  and  thighs,  has  some- 
times succeeded  even  in  desperate  cases  in  the  discharge 
of  urine. 

Should  the  disease  arise  from  the  gravel  or  stone  ob- 
structing the  passages,  which  may  be  known  by  pains  in 
the  loins,  sickness  at  the  stomach,  and  sometimes  the 
discharge  of  bloody  urine,  an  infusion  of  wild  carrot  seed 
sweetened  with  honey,  is  often  useful.  The  infusion  of 
hops,  taken  a  wine-glassful  at  a  time,  to  the  extent  of  a 
pint  a  day,  is  still  better.  In  the  case  of  children  a 
suppression  of  urine  is  often  relieved  by  a  poultice  of  raw 
onions  or  radishes,  applied  to  the  bottom  of  the  stomach. 

The  diet  in  these  diseases  must  be  light,  of  drinks  w* 
have  already  spoken. 


DYSPEPSIA,  OR  INDIGESTION. 

HE  great  and  increasing  prevalence  of 
this  disease  among  us  demands  the 
most  senbws  attention;  and  on  this  ac- 
count we  shall  go  somewhat  more 
at   length  into  the   subject  than 
we  have  done  as  to  some  other 
diseases. 

Dyspepsia,  says  Dr.  Cummings,  in  his  very  excellent 
volume  on  the  '^Preservation  of  Health  and  Prevention  of 
Pisease,''^  occurs  most  frequently  between  the  ages  of 
twenty  and  forty-five,  and  finds  most  of  its  subjects  in 
the  upper  and  middle  classes  of  society.  Its  predisposing 
causes  are  sedentary  occupations,  especially  when  carried 
on  in  close  rooms  and  factories;  indolent  habits  of  body 
and  mind,  long  and  intense  study,  undue  care  or  anxiety, 
insufl&cient  exercise  in  the  open  air,  luxurious  living, 
indulgence  in  sleep,  and  confinement  in  close  or  ill- venti- 
lated apartments. 

It  is  spoken  of  by  medical  writers  as  comparatively  a 
modern  disease.  When  business-men  journeyed  on  horse- 
back, in  the  private  carriage,  or  by  stage,  and  professional 
men  had  their  small  farms — when  the  domestic  spinning- 

(147) 


148  DISEASES   OF   JIEN   AND   WOMEN. 

wheel  and  loom  were  in  vogue,  and  manual  labor,  even 
to  fatigue,  was  not  tliouglit  degrading,  if  not  decidedly 
vulgar,  indigestion  was  far  less  common  than  at  present. 
Eail-cars  and  steamboats,  with  the  luxurious  living  thej 
afford,  however  useful  in  other  respects,  are  much  inferior 
to  the  more  tardj  means  of  locomotion  of  by-gone  days 
in  promoting  good  digestion.  While  the  causes  of  mental 
excitement  are  constantly  becoming  more  numerous,  and 
the  mode  of  living  more  luxurious,  the  incentives  to 
bodily  exercise  have  been  growing  less  and  less. 

Some  of  the  worst  forms  of  dyspepsia  are  induced  by 
the  habitual  use  of  tobacco.  When  smoked  or  chewed, 
it  causes  an  unnatural  waste  of  the  saliva,  and  a  conse- 
quent depreciation  of  that  fluid.  It  has  a  special  influ- 
ence on  the  organic  nerves,  impairing  their  power  and 
energy.  Tobacco  acts  as  a  pleasant  and  agreeable  stimu- 
lant to  the  nervous  system,  but  ultimately  weakens  and 
exhausts  the  very  powers  which  were  at  first  exhilarated 
by  its  use.  Loss  of  appetite,  with  incapacity  of  the 
stomach  to  digest  food  when  taken,  hypochondria  and 
melancholy,  seriously  afflict  those  who  devote  themselves 
to  the  fashionable  use  of  this  loathsome  weed;  though 
the  evils  resulting  from  this  habit  do  not  overtake  the 
transgressor  till  after  the  nervous  system  has  become 
slowly  and  stealthily  impaired  by  protracted  use  of  the 
poison.  But  the  progress  of  recovery  is  equally  slow, 
and  far  more  doubtful.    When  that  portion  of  the  nervous 


DISEASES  OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN'.  149 

system  which  is  immediately  concerned  in  the  digestive 
process  has  become  prostrated  and  enfeebled,  through 
the  influence  of  a  deadly  poison,  it  can  rarely,  if  ever,  be 
restored  to  its  original  energy  and  power. 

Another  very  prominent  cause  of  the  prevalence  of 
dyspepsia  in  this  country  is  the  excessive  use  of  cathartic 
medicines,  usually  in  the  form  of  pills.  The  amount  of 
this  kind  of  medicine  in  actual  use,  if  told,  would  be 
wholly  incredible.  One  concern  in  New  York,  and  that  not 
so  extensive  as  many  others,  turns  out,  by  the  aid  of 
steam-propelled  machinery,  no  less  than  ten  barrels  per 
day^  or  over  three  thousand  barrels  annually  of  cathartic 
pills.  These  pills  are  kept  constantly  on  hand  by  im- 
mense numbers  of  people,  as  an  ever-present  relief  for 
any  slight  attack  of  indigestion  or  any  other  illness,  how- 
ever trivial;  and  multitudes  resort  to  them,  as  promoting 
health,  while  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  its  blessings.  A 
temporary  relief  from  the  consequences  of  high  living  is 
doubtless  experienced  from  the  use  of  this  class  of  medi- 
cines, but  the  ultimate  result  is  to  weaken  and  impair  the 
organs  of  digestion. 

Excessive  indulgence  of  the  appetite,  a  hurried  manner 
in  eating,  indulgence  at  irregular  hours,  late  suppers,  in- 
tense application  of  the  mind  to  study  or  business  with- 
out sufBcient  exercise,  confinement  in  ill-ventilated  rooms, 
mental  excitement,  cultivation  of  the  fancy  and  the 
passions,  and  the  use  of  tobacco,  tea,  coffee,  and  alcoholio 
13* 


150  DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN. 

liquors,  may  all  be  included  in  the  list  of  causes  which 
induce  dyspepsia. 

The  medical  remedies  are  numerous,  but  the  chief  re- 
liance for  success  will  be  found  in  a  prompt  and  absolute 
avoidance  of  the  causes  which  induced  the  disease.  Fat 
and  oily  meats,  soups,  and  liquid  foods  are  acted  upon  by 
the  stomach  with  great  difficulty;  and  if  the  diet  consist 
chiefly  of  them,  furnish  insufficient  nourishment,  and 
never  fail  of  producing  the  more  severe  forms  of  dyspep- 
sia and  the  disease  of  debility.  Soups  are  also  hurtful 
when  taken  at  the  commencement  of  a  meal,  unless  taken 
with  bread,  rice,  or  some  more  solid  food,  to  give  them 
consistency. 

Neither  can  rich  cakes,  puddings,  or  pastry  of  any 
kind  be  indulged  in.  But  plain  animal  food,  when  free 
from  fat,  and  well  broiled,  roasted  or  boiled,  and  in  mode- 
rate quantities,  with  bread,  rice,  or  dry  mealy  potatoes,  will 
constitute  a  meal  that  can  be  taken  by  almost  any  dys- 
peptic. Fish  will  be  found  to  disagree  with  some,  but  is 
most  digestible  when  boiled,  and  the  least  so  when  fried. 
Fruit  and  milk  should  not  be  taken  at  the  same  meal 
with  fish. 

Water  should  be  his  only  drink,  and  should  not  be 
taken  in  large  draughts  during  or  soon  after  a  meal;  ex 
tremes  of  temperature  should  be  avoided.     He  should 
take  his  meals  at  regular  and  uniform  hours,  and  allow 
himself  an  hour's  rest,  or  only  very  gentle   exercise; 


DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND   WOMEN.  151 

thougli  he  ought  at  other  hours  to  take  much  exercise  in 
the  open  air,  selecting,  if  possible,  that  which  will  bring 
tlie  greatest  number  of  muscles  into  moderate  action,  and 
afford  recreation  from  accustomed  labors.  Perhaps  no 
exercise  is  more  valuable  for  him  than  horseback  riding. 
A  journey  in  this  way,  though  not  in  fashion,  has  more 
to  recommend  it  as  a  remedy  for  dyspepsia,  than  any 
other  that  can  be  furnished  by  the  entire  pharmacopseia. 
If  medicines  must  be  taken,  we  would  recommend 
that  when  a  severe  attack  of  indigestion  comes  on,  an 
active  purgative,  such  as  ten  grains  each  of  calomel  and 
fine  powdered  rhubarb  and  aloes,  made  into  pills,  should 
be  taken  with  honey  or  syrup.  Or  a  tea-spoonful  of 
mustard-seed  and  half  that  quantity  of  colombo-root, 
may  be  taken  three  times  a  day.  If  the  stomach  can 
he  brought  to  endure  it,  live  on  a  new  milk  diet  for 
several  weeks. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  LITER. 

The  liver,  as  most  of  our  readers  know,  is  situated  im- 
mediately below  the  diaphragm  or  midriff,  on  the  right 
side;  it  reaches  almost  as  far  back  as  the  spine  or  back- 
bone, and  rests  on  the  right  kidney.  It  is  the  largest 
gland  in  the  body,  and  is  divided  into  two  unequal  parts 


152  DISEASES    OF   MEN   AND   WOMEN" 

called  lobes.  Its  great  use  is  to  secrete  the  bile;  and 
tliougb  its  movements  are  slow,  it  is  the  scat  of  variou? 
diseases,  such  as  abscess,  schirrhus,  and  inflammation 
Any  disease  attacking  this  part  of  the  body  should  re- 
ceive prompt  attention;  nor  should  mere  palliatives  be 
indulged  in.  We  were  once  acquainted  with  a  clergyman 
who  knew  that  his  liver  was  affected,  and  finding  that 
smoking  tobacco  usually  lulled  the  pain,  and  removed 
the  irritation  of  his  temper,  lie  indulged  the  habit  till  all 
medical  aid  was  too  late,  and  he  died  in  the  prime  of  his 
life,  and  in  the  fullness  of  his  strength. 

The  most  common  disease  of  the  liver,  and  that  which 
usually  precedes  the  others,  is  inflammation,  which  appears 
in  two  forms, — the  acute  and  the  chronic;  these  are 
different  in  their  symptoms  and  character,  and  demand 
different  modes  of  treatment.  As  we  have  ourselves 
been  the  subject  of  liver  disease  about  forty  years,  and 
have  consulted  many  of  the  most  eminent  physicians  of 
the  day,  we  think  we  can  give  some  useful  information 
on  the  matter. 

The  diseases  of  the  liver  are  more  frequent  in  hot 
climates  than  in  those  more  temperate.  They  are  usually 
caused  by  sudden  changes  of  the  weather,  such  as  very 
cold  nights  after  hot  days;  sitting  in  a  draught  of  air 
when  over-heated;  drinking  too  much  alcoholic  liquors, 
and  indulging  too  much  in  hot  spicy  food.     Excessive 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND  WOlVrEN. 


153 


fatness,   as  also  much  violent  vomiting,  will  bring  on 
these  diseases. 

The  ax:ute  inflammation  of  the  liver  is  distinguished  by 
being  attended  with  inflammatory  symptoms  or  fever, 
accompanied  with  a  slight  chill,  much  resembling  an 
attack  of  pleurisy;  the 
patient  breathes  with 
difficulty,  has  a  dry 
cough,  not  unusually 
attended  with  bilious 
vomiting.  A  pain  in  the 
right  side  rises  to  the 
highest  point  of  the 
shoulder,  which  pressure 
below  the  ribs  greatly 
increases.  The  bowels 
are  frequently  costive, 
the  urine  of  a  deep  saffron 
color,  the  thirst  is  great, 
the  tongue  dry,  and 
covered  with  a  white  fur; 
the  pulse  is  usually  from 
ninety  to  a  hundred;  and  after  a  few  days,  the  skin  and 
whites  of  the  eyes  are  yellow. 

This  kind  of  inflammation,  as  all  others,  first  of  all  re- 
quires the  determination  of  the  blood  to  the  part  affected 
to  be  lessened.    Hence  the  necessity  of  as  free  a  perspi- 


BLOOD,    OR   PDCGOON-ROOT. 


154  DISEASES   OF  MEN  AND  WOMEN. 

ration  as  possible.  The  feet  must  at  once  be  placed  in 
the  tepid  bath  ;  then  an  emetic  should  be  given.  This 
may  be  prepared  by  carefully  pulverizing  four  ounces  of 
ipecacuanha,  four  ounces  of  lobelia,  and  two  ounces  of 
blood-root;  carefully  mix  them,  and  give  one  tea-spoon- 
ful in  half  a  pint  of  the  infusion  of  catnip  every  hour  or 
two,  till  it  freely  operates,  so  as  to  produce  copious  per- 
spiration, or  at  least  till  the  pain  ceases.  Let  the  patient 
also  drink  freely  of  balm  or  pennyroyal  tea.  Fomenta- 
tions should  be  applied  over  the  region  of  the  liver,  and 
if  they  do  not  lessen  the  pain,  simmer  a  tea-spoonful  or 
two  of  Cayenne  pepper  in  a  little  brandy,  and  apply  it  as 
often  and  as  warm  as  it  can  be  borne.  To  allay  the 
vomiting  which  often  accompanies  the  disease,  give  a 
little  saleratus  or  sub-carbonate  of  potash,  in  peppermint 
or  tea,  whenever  the  vomiting  returns.  Should,  however, 
the  symptoms  continue,  take  equal  parts  of  mustard  and 
Cayenne  pepper,  a  table-spoonful  of  Indian  meal,  and 
vinegar  enough  to  form  a  poultice;  place  it  on  the  pa- 
tient's side,  and  keep  it  there  as  long  as  it  can  be  borne. 
If  the  pain  in  the  side  does  not  now  subside,  put  on  a 
poultice  of  rye  meal  and  vinegar,  sprinkling  the  surface 
over  with  powdered  mustard  seed,  or  the  common  house- 
hold mustard.  Wear  a  strengthening  plaster  on  the  side 
and  between  the  shoulders.  Special  care  should  be  taken 
to  keep  the  bowels  open. 

The  chronic  inflammation  of  the  liver  presents  some- 


DISEASES   OF  MEN  AND  WOMEN. 


155 


what  different  symptoms.  There  is  a  dull  pain  in  the 
right  side,  reaching  up  to  the  shoulder;  great  flatulence 
and  eructations  of  the  stomach,  failure  of  appetite,  languor, 
want  of  sleep,  and  much  depression  of  spirits;  the  evacua- 
tions of  the  bowels  are  of  the  color  of  clay,  and  the  urine 
deposits  a  red  sediment.  In  the  progress  of  the  disease 
the  countenance  becomes  livid,  the  eyes  sunk,  and  the 
whole  pre- 
sent a  dull 
white  or  yel- 
lowish   hue; 

the  body  be-  ^^^E!  Jk  /  M§  ^^1 

comes     ema-  ~ 

ciated:  in  the 
region  of  the 
liver  is  felt  a 
great  fullness, 
often  with  a 
shght  swell- 
ing, and  difficulty  of  breathing;  there  is,  too,  a  dry  hoarse 
cough,  which  is  much  aggravated  when  the  patient  lies 
on  the  right  side.  Dropsy  and  jaundice  often  follow ;  and 
sometimes  under  all  this  the  patient  sinks.  If,  however, 
diseases  of  the  liver  are  promptly  and  wisely  managed, 
they  are  seldom  fatal. 

The  patient  must  not  expect  a  cure  of  the  disease  in 
this  form  in  less  than  six  months.     More  will  depend  on 


15$  DISEASES  OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN. 

care  and  regimen  than  on  medicine.  Some  of  the  latter, 
however,  must  be  taken.  An  emetic,  such  as  already 
prescribed  for  the  disease  in  the  acute  form,  may  be  given, 
and  what  are  termed  hepatic  pills  should  be  taken.  These 
are  prepared  of  equal  parts  of  the  extract  of  dandelion, 
with  mandrake  and  blood-root  powdered,  sufficient  to 
make  a  pill  mass ;  add  to  these  a  few  drops  of  essential 
oil,  peppermint  or  spearmint,  and  form  into  common- 
sized  pills,  of  which  take  three  night  and  morning.  This 
is  a  very  excellent  remedy ;  successful  also  in  jaundice 
and  affections  of  the  kidneys,  as  also  in  obstructions  and 
indurations  of  the  spleen.  A  drink  to  be  constantly 
taken  through  the  day  may  be  made  of  dandelion-root 
sweetened  and  made  palatable  with  sugar  or  honey. 

Dr.  Johnson,  of  London,  has  highly  recommended,  for 
regulating  the  tone  of  the  stomach  and  the  action  of  the 
bowels,  a  preparation  of  four  ounces  of  the  decoction  of 
taraxacum,  a  drachm  of  carbonate  of  soda,  two  drachms 
of  the  extract  of  taraxacum,  and  two  drachms  of  the  tinc- 
ture of  gentian;  mix  these  together,  and  take  two  or 
three  spoonsful  a  day. 

Bleeding,  blisters,  calomel,  and  a  bath  of  nitro-muriatic 
acid,  may  all  be  useful  in  this  disease,  but  should  be 
regulated  by  the  skill  of  a  physician.  So  if  an  abscess 
or  imposthume  be  formed  in  the  liver,  the  best  possible 
aid  should  be  sought  for  from  the  same  quarter. 

When  the  patient  is  recovering,  he  may  have  recoursa 


DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND   WOMEN.  157 

to  tonics,  of  which  the  following  will  be  found  highly 
serviceable.  Take  half  an  ounce  each  of  gentian-root, 
colombo-root,  orange-peel,  and  quassia ;  cut  theni  all  fine 
and  put  them  into  a  quart  of  old  whisky;  let  it  stand  for 
six  days,  often  shaking  the  bottle  well ;  take  a  table- 
spoonful  in  cold  water  three  times  a  day. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  here  that  the  diet  should 
be  light  and  easy  of  digestion.  Chicken,  lamb,  mutton- 
chops,  and  fresh  beef,  may  all  be  taken  in  moderation, 
with  such  vegetables  as  water- cresses,  mustard,  lettuce 
and  garlic,  and  such  drinks  as  barley-gruel,  whey,  etc.; 
but  no  coffee,  tea,  nor  spirits.  A  change  of  climate  will 
be  useful,  and  moderate  exercise  and  a  serene  mind  are 
indispensable  requisites  to  recovery. 


PLEURISY. 

This  disease  is  an  inflammation  of  the  membrane  called 
the  pleura^  which  lines  the  inside  of  the  breast,  and  springs 
from  whatever  causes  the  obstruction  of  perspiration.  It 
is  characterized  by  an  acute  pain  in  the  breast,  back,  or 
either  side,  for  the  pleura  lines  the  whole  cavity  of  the 
chest.  A  deep  sigh  or  long  breath  will  increase  the  pain, 
as  will  also  lying  on  the  side  specially  affected.  The 
tongue  is  white,  the  face  flushed  and  red,  and  the  whole 
14 


158  DISEASES    OF    MEN   AND   WOMEN. 

body  hot.  The  urine  is  of  a  high  color,  and  the  pulse 
is  quick,  hard,  and  sharp.  The  causes  of  the  disease  are 
the  same  which  bring  inflammation  of  the  lungs  or  liver 

The  symptoms  of  this  disease  do  not  much  vary  from 
those  which  attend  inflammatory  diseases  in  general. 
Chilliness  and  shivering  are  usually  succeeded  by  heat, 
thirst  and  restlessness;  these  are  followed  by  violent 
pricking  pain  among  the  ribs,  which  at  some  times  ex- 
tends toward  the  back-bone,  at  others  toward  the  forepart 
of  the  breast,  and  still  at  others  toward  the  shoulder- 
blade. 

Nearly  every  writer  on  medicine  recommends  copious 
bleeding  from  the  arm  to  lessen  the  pain  and  danger  of 
pleurisy.  This  should  be  immediately  followed  by  a  brisk 
purgative  medicine,  composed  of  ten  grains  of  calomel 
and  fifteen  of  jalap;  when  these  have  operated  freely,  and 
the  patient  can  easily  raise  phlegm,  let  him  procure  a 
profuse  perspiration  by  mixing  two  grains  of  tartar  emetic 
and  ten  spoonsful  of  sage  tea,  taking  a  spoonful  every 
hour  till  a  sweat  comes  on.  Dr.  Beach  strongly  object? 
to  bleeding,  and  recommends  first  of  all  the  emetic  we 
have  recommended  in  the  case  of  acute  inflammation  of 
the  liver,  to  be  accompanied  with  the  tepid-bath  for  the 
feet.  He  then  directs  a  fomentation  for  the  side,  com- 
posed of  Cayenne  pepper  and  the  best  brandy,  simmered 
for  a  few  minutes  over  the  fire.  An  English  physician 
prescribes  as  much  Cayenne  pepper  as  will  lie  on  the 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND   WOMEN.  159 

handle  of  a  teaspoon,  given  in  brandy,  and  the  side  bathed 
with  the  same  preparation.  We  believe  this  in  many 
instances  would  eflfect  a  cure. 

On  many  accounts,  however,  the  botanical  or  vegetable 
treatment  is  the  best.  "Warm  cabbage  leaves,  or  a 
bladder  nearly  filled  with  warm  water,  applied  to  the  side, 
has  often  afforded  great  relief.  After  the  inflammatory 
action  is  in  some  degree  removed,  the  Seneca  snake-root 
tea  will  be  highly  useful.  Where  this  cannot  be  had,  the 
Bame  purpose  may  be  accomplished  by  the  decoction  of 
the  rattle-snake  root,  given  in  doses  of  one  or  two  table- 
Bpoonsful  every  two  or  three  hours. 

If  the  pulse  becomes  languid,  lay  blisters  on  the  ex- 
tremities, and  give  six  or  eight  grains  of  volatile  salts 
every  three  hours  with  mulled  wine.  Keep  open  the 
bowels  during  the  disease  with  gentle  doses  of  castor  oil. 

Light  diet,  the  free  use  of  catnip  or  hoarhound  tea, 
gruels,  whey,  and  similar  drinks,  are  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance, as  well  as  the  utmost  care  in  clothing,  exercise, 
and  choice  of  food  when  the  patient  is  recovering. 


INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  BOWELS. 

This  disease,  which  is  most  common  among  aged  per- 
sons, is  generally  occasioned   by  extreme  costiveness, 


160  DISEASES   OF   MEN"  AND  WOMEN. 

spasmodic  colic,  or  acrid  substances  lodged  in  the  bowels; 
it  is  often,  too,  brought  on  by  neglected  wet  feet.  It 
shows  itself  in  fever,  violent  vomitings,  acute  pain  in  the 
bowels,  which  is  increased  by  pressure,  quick,  hard,  and 
contracted  pulse,  great  prostration  of  strength,  high  col- 
ored urine  voided  with  pain,  and  great  restlessness.  It 
is  a  dangerous  disease,  and  must  not  be  neglected  for  an 
hour. 

As  soon  as  the  patient  feels  the  symptoms  we  have 
described,  let  him  place  himself  in  a  tepid-bath,  refuse 
all  stimulating  purgatives  and  hot  medicines  of  any  kind, 
and  send  at  once  for  the  physician.  Avoid  all  bleeding 
and  blistering.  If  the  physician  does  not  soon  arrive, 
take  a  table-spoonful  of  the  best  castor  oil  every  two  hours 
till  it  acts  freely,  apply  warm  fomentations  to  the  bowels 
composed  of  tansey,  hoarhound,  hops,  and  wormwood, 
boiled  in  vinegar  and  water.  This  may  also  be  put  into 
flannel,  laid  on  the  abdomen,  and  changed  as  soon  as  it 
becomes  cool.  If  violent  vomiting  continues,  make  an 
infusion  of  half  a  pint  of  spearmint,  and  a  tea-spoonful 
of  saleratus,  and  give  a  tea-spoonful  every  half  hour.  If 
the  inflammation  and  pain  still  continue,  apply  a  mustard 
plaster  to  the  bowels,  and  keep  it  on  till  the  skin  becomes 
very  red.  A  table-spoonful  of  sweet  oil,  with  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  finely  powdered  charcoal  may  be  given  with 
advantage. 

Every  one  knows  that  the  food,  in  this  disease,  should 


DISEASES   OF  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  161 

be  very  light,  and  the  decoction  of  slippery-elm,  of  manua, 
or  of  senna,  may  be  given.  No  matter  how  small  the 
quantity  of  food  taken  while  the  inflammation  lasts;  and 
even  when  the  patient  is  recovering,  he  must  be  careful 
against  too  much  food ;  let  him  take  very  gentle  exercise 
in  the  open  air,  wear  flannel  next  the  skin,  and  frequently 
use  the  warm  bath.  These  are  the  best  preservatives 
against  the  return  of  the  disease. 


FEYEKS. 

Before  we  enter  on  the  class  of  diseases  wnica  come 
under  this  general  name,  it  may  not  be  improper  to 
glance  at  a  few  of  the  causes  which  lead  to  their  preva- 
lence. We  will  more  especially  refer  to  those  which  are 
found  in  many  of  our  densely  populated  districts,  where 
party  spirit  or  other  causes  have  led  to  the  neglect  of 
sanitary  laws. 

The  most  malignant  epidemics  are  not  unfrequently 
limited  to  a  certain  neighborhood,  a  particular  street,  a 
block  of  buildings,  or  follow  the  course  of  a  single  stream 
of  water,  -or  along  the  shores  of  a  certain  pond.  In  a 
section  of  the  town  of  Sheffield,  Mass.,  a  few  years  ago, 
not  over  one  and  a  half  miles  in  diameter,  in  the  vicinity 
of  a  pond  known  as  Hubbard's  Pond,  which  contained 
14*  K 


162  DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND   WOMEN. 

about  one  hundred  families,  or  six  hundred  inhabitants, 
over  three  hundred  were  sick,  and  forty-four  died.  Among 
one  hundred  and  fifty  who  lived  near  the  pond  on  the 
south-easterly  side,  less  than  ten  escaped;  of  those  on  the 
westerly,  about  fifty  nnore  were  affected.  The  cause  of 
this  remarkable  sickness  was  attributed  to  this  pond. 
A  dam  was  built  at  the  outlet,  and  at  times  of  high  water, 
a  large  tract  of  land  was  overflowed.  In  dry  seasons, 
the  water  was  drawn  oflf,  and  large  quantities  of  decom- 
posing vegetable  matter  were  exposed  to  the  action  of 
the  sun,  which  produced  a  poisonous  exhalation  or 
malaria,  which  affected  nearly  all  who  inhaled  it. 

Near  the  village  of  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  about  fifty  years 
ago,  a  mill-dam  was  erected,  which  caused  the  water  to 
set  back  and  cover  over  more  than  one  hundred  acres 
of  land,  then  clothed  with  its  native  forest-trees  of  soft 
maple,  alders,  red  ash,  etc.  Soon  afterward  all  the  timber 
perished;  then  commenced  bilious  fevers,  and  the  fever 
and  ague.  It  was  very  sickly;  many  died;  all  were 
alarmed.  The  owner  of  the  mill  was  prosecuted,  and  the 
dam  destroyed.  The  sickness  ceased  soon  after  the 
destruciion  of  the  mill-dara. 

Dr.  T.  Southwood  Smith,  professor  in  the  London 
Fever  Hospital,  gives  the  following  testimony :  "  In  some 
localities  there  was  not  a  single  house  in  which  fever  had 
not  prevailed,  and,  in  some  cases,  not  a  single  room  in  a 
single  house  in  which  there  had  not  been  fever.     The 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN.  163 

districts  in  which  fever  prevails,  are  as  familiar  to  the 
physicians  of  the  fever  hospital  as  their  own  names.  In 
every  district  in  which  fever  returns  frequently,  and  pre- 
vails  extensively,  there  is  uniformly  a  bad  sewerage,  a 
bad  supply  of  water,  a  bad  supply  of  scavengers,  and  a 
consequent  accumulation  of  filth;  and  I  have  observed 
this  to  be  so  uniformly  and  generally  the  case,  that  I  have 
been  accustomed  to  express  the  fact  in  this  way : — If  you 
trace  down  the  fever  districts  on  a.  map,  and  then  com- 
pare that  map  with  the  map  of  the  commissioners  of 
sewers,  you  will  find  that  wherever  the  commissioners  of 
sewers  have  not  been,  there  fever  is  prevalent;  and  on  the 
contrary,  wherever  they  have  been,  there  fever  is  com- 
paratively absent.  Some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  evils 
which  our  negligence  in  the  matter  of  sewerage  and 
drainage  inflicts,  when  I  tell  you  that  the  annual  deaths 
from  typhus  fever  amount  to  sixteen  thousand,  and  the 
attacks  of  this  loathsome  disease  to  between  one  hundred 
and  fifty  and  two  hundred  thousand." 

The  principles  which  apply  to  extensive  localities  are 
seen  also  in  detail  in  single  families.  Hence  cleanliness, 
fresh  air,  and  moderate  exercise  combined  with  wholesome 
food  and  temperate  habits,  are  the  grand  preservatives 
against  fever.  "We  have  now  to  do  with  the  evil  when  it 
has  come  into  existence,  and  we  begin  with  its  very  worst 
type. 


YELLOW  FEVEE. 


UR  tappy  land,  by  the  tender 
mercy  of  God,  has  witnessed 
and  is  witnessing  an  almost 
miraculous  decrease  in  this 
terrible  plague,  so  that  we 
trust  some  of  our  children 
may  hereafter  have  to  regard 
it  as  only  among  the  things  that  were. 

Every  reader  knows  that  there  are  certain  facts  or 
symptoms  indicative  of  fevers  of  every  kind.  For  in- 
stance, shiverings,  followed  by  a  hot  skin,  a  quick  pulse, 
and  a  feeling  of  languor  and  lassitude,  show  an  attack  of 
fever.  With  such  symptoms  as  these  are  also  usually 
present  a  loss  of  appetite,  thirst,  restlessness,  and  a 
diminished  secretion.  In  addition  to  these  there  are,  in 
cases  of  yellow  fever^  pains  in  the  eye-balls  and  lower  parts 
of  the  forehead;  the  saliva  is  glutinous,  or  sticky;  large 
quantities  of  frothy  bile  are  thrown  up  by  vomiting;  the 
eyes,  face,  and  breast  are  of  a  deep  yellow  tinge;  and 
though  sudden  changes  sometimes  take  place  which 
promise  speedy  recovery,  the  disease  returns  with  re- 
doubled violence,  the  patient  suddenly  becomes  giddy 
(164) 


DISEASES   OF   MEX   AND   WOMEN.  165 

and  loses  his  sight;  the  eyes  are  much  inflamed,  are 
watery,  protrude  and  roll  wildly ;  the  patient,  moreover, 
is  intensely  anxious,  vomits  yellow  or  black  matter,  and 
emits  a  yellow  perspiration,  which  is  of  a  highly  offensive 
smell;  he  bleeds  much,  has  severe  pains,  especially  in  the 
testicles  and  calves  of  the  legs,  shows  livid  spots  in  the 
skin,  and  in  agony  he  throws  out  and  draws  back  his 
extremities  in  rapid  succession ;  the  evacuations  from  his 
bowels  are  black  and  fetid ;  has  violent  hiccup,  and  sunken 
pulse. 

The  causes  of  yellow  fever  are  said  to  be,  in  addition 
to  all  those  which  check  perspiration,  exposure  to  nox- 
ious exhalations  from  swamps,  rivers,  lakes,  and  marshes, 
or  the  filth  of  cities  and  towns  accumulated  under  a  burn- 
ing sun.  This  poison  is  assisted  in  its  work  of  disease 
and  death  by  habits  of  intemperance,  licentiousness,  and 
exhaustion  of  the  bodily  system  from  whatever  cause. 

Our  limited  space  will  not  allow  us  to  discuss  the  still 
disputed  point  as  to  this  disease  being  contagious,  nor 
can  we  scientifically  discuss  the  three  different  stages  it 
presents;  the  patient  seized  by  it,  or  his  friends,  will  be 
wise  enough,  we  trust,  to  call  in  this,  as  in  all  similar  cases, 
on  the  most  skillful  physician  that  can  be  obtained.  A 
few  directions  may  always  be  properly  regarded. 

Hot  bathing  of  the  whole  body,  and  especially  of  the 
feet,  can  scarcely  be  too  much  practiced.  If  there  bo  a 
determination  of  blood  to  the  head,  producing  delirium, 


166  DISEASES  OF  MEN  AND  WOMEN. 

a  towel  should  be  dipped  in  a  mixture  of  spirits,  vinegar, 
water,  and  salt,  and  bound  around  it ;  if  nausea  be  felt 
at  the  stomach,  drink,  as  much  and  as  soon  as  possible, 
chamomile  tea ;  and  if  there  is  vomiting  of  black  matter, 
take  lime-water  and  new  milk  every  hour,  or  oftener; 
and  apply  a  blister  or  mustard  plaster  to  the  stomach. 
Keep  up  the  patient's  strength  with  preparations  of  barley 
<sago,  Indian  arrow-root,  etc.,  with  wine. 

Supposing  a  physician  cannot  be  obtained,  a  somewhat 
different  course  may  be  needful.  If  the  stomach  be  very 
irritable,  and  the  vomiting  violent,  make  a  preparation 
of  twenty  grains  of  powdered  rhubarb,  twenty  grains  of 
powdered  saleratus,  a  tea-spoonful  of  powdered  pepper- 
mint, a  gill  of  boiling  water,  fifteen  drops  of  laudanum, 
a  table-spoonful  of  brandy ;  mix  and  sweeten  them  with 
loaf  sugar,  and  give  a  table-spoonful  every  hour  till  the 
symptoms  change. 

A  system  entirely  vegetable  may  be  preferred,  and  is 
often  the  most  successful.  Let  strong  boneset  or  thorough- 
wort  tea,  be  taken  in  as  large  quantities  as  the  stomach 
of  the  patient  will  bear.  Half  a  pint  of  it  will  generally 
produce  vomiting.  Of  course  in  all  cases  of  fever  the 
bowels  must  be  pretty  powerfully  acted  on ;  this  may  be 
now  profitably  done  by  a  preparation  of  four  ounces  of 
bayberry  bark,  two  ounces  of  ginger,  and  half  an  ounce 
of  Cayenne  pepper;  take  a  tea-spoonful  of  this  mixture 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND   WOMEN.  1^7 

in  a  little  milk  every  hour  till  it  freely  acts,  adding  to 
every  dose  half  a  tea-spoonful  of  powdered  rhubarb. 

Capt.  Jonas  P.  Levy,  late  of  the  U.  S.  Transport  ship 
American^  who  has  had  hundreds  of  cases  of  yellow  fever 
under  treatment,  says  he  never  knew  of  a  case  termi- 
nating fatally  after  observing  the  following  directions: — 
Dissolve  in  a  wine-glass  of  water  a  table-spoonful  of 
common  salt,  and  pour  the  same  into  a  tumbler,  adding 
the  juice  of  a  whole  lemon,  and  two  wine-glasses  of  castor 
oil.  The  whole  to  be  taken,  by  an  adult,  at  one  dose. 
Then  a  hot  mustard  foot-bath,  with  a  handful  of  salt  in 
the  water — the  patient  to  be  well  wrapped  in  blankets, 
until  perspiration  takes  place  freely.  On  removal  to 
bed,  the  feet  of  the  patient  to  be  wrapped  in  the  blanket. 
Afterward,  apply  mustard  plasters  to  the  abdomen,  legs, 
and  soles  of  the  feet.  If  the  headache  is  very  acute, 
apply  mustard  plasters  to  the  head  and  temples.  After 
the  fever  has  been  broken,  take  forty  grains  of  quinine 
and  forty  drops  of  elixir  of  vitriol  to  a  quart  of  water, 
and  give  a  wine-glassful  three  times  a  day.  Barley-water, 
lemonade,  and  ice- water,  may  be  used  in  moderation. 


TYPHUS  FEVER. 

N  many  respects  this  is  a  somewhat  milder 
form  of  yellow  fever,  but  has  its  diflfer- 
i.^,A  f^5^^,.-~X^       ences,  especially  in  its 
'-   /      acting  more  than  that 
^"^  ^  does  on  the  nervous  sys- 

tem. It  is  also  called 
typhoid,  spotted,  putrid,  nervous,  and  jail  fever,  having  a 
name  derived  from  the  Greek  language,  which  means 
stupor.  It  assumes  somewhat  different  forms,  and  ac- 
cordingly bears  among  physicians  different  names. 

The  common  or  slow  and  nervous  typhus  fever,  is  very 
generally  considered  contagious,  and  is  marked  by  a  feel- 
ing of  dullness,  inaction,  and  drowsiness ;  there  is  usually 
also  a  pain  and  giddiness  of  the  head,  aching  pains  in  the 
back,  limbs,  and  indeed  the  whole  body ;  frequent  nausea 
and  vomiting;  a  short  breath,  weak  pulse;  a  white  tongue, 
often  moist  and  covered  with  slime,  afterward  turning 
dry  and  brown,  and  tremulous  sensation;  thirst,  pale 
urine,  and  sometimes  delirium.  This  disease  most  com- 
monly attacks  persons  of  weak  constitutions,  and  those 
who  reside  in  jails,  hospitals,  prison- ships,  and  other  ill- 
ventilated  apartments. 
(168) 


DISEASES   OF  MEN   AND  WOMEN. 


169 


As  soon  as  the  patient  is  attacked  with  these  symptoms, 
he  should  abstain  from  all  exercise  and  go  to  bed.  Let 
him  take  a  tea-spoonful  of  the  lobelia  powder,  and  the 
same  quantity  of  the  powder  of  skunk  cabbage,  a  little 
Cayenne  pepper,  and  a  tea-spoonful  of  sugar  in  strong 
thoroughwort  tea,  and  re- 
peat this  dose  every  half 
hour  till  it  produces  free 
vomiting.  Then  let  him 
take  a  tea-spoonful  of  the 
tincture  of  jalap  every  hour 
till  it  brings  on  a  sharp 
purging. 

After  the  stomach  and 
bowels  have  been  well 
cleansed,  tonics  should  be 
given  in  the  shape  of  teas 
made  of  Virginia  snake- 
root,  dogwood  bark,  and 
willow;  a  little  wine  may 
also  be  given,  and  the  sys- 
tem may  be  sustained  by 

warm  gruel,  barley-water,  and  rice-water.  Stimulants 
must  be  administered  with  great  caution.  As  the  patient 
begins  to  recover,  give  him,  in  moderate  quantities,  jellies, 
broths,  puddings,  eggs,  etc. 

If  diarrhcBa  comes  on,  you  may  make  a  preparation  of 
15 


LOBELU,  OB  tUmiV  TOBACCO. 


170  DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN. 

ten  grains  each  of  opium  and  ipecacuanha,  and  twelve 
grains  of  camphor,  all  in  fine  powder ;  mix  them,  divide 
into  ten  powders,  and  take  one  every  few  hours  till  the 
diarrhoea  ceases. 

If  the  disease  has  advanced  to  the  malignant  or  putrid 
form,  that  is,  if  the  attack  be  very  violent,  the  tongue 
brown  or  black,  if  there  is  much  foul  matter  about  the 
teeth,  the  skin  be  intensely  hot,  and  purple  spots  appear 
in  various  parts  of  the  body,  another  course  of  treatment 
must  be  pursued.  An  emetic  must  be  given,  and  purga- 
tives as  already  described ;  and  above  all,  every  possible 
means  must  be  used  to  promote  perspiration.  Take  freely 
of  catnip  tea,  of  cold  lemonade,  oranges,  etc.  Dr.  Beach 
recommends  ten  or  twelve  drops  of  muriatic  acid,  with 
five  drops  of  laudanum  in  tea  made  of  chamomile  or 
Colombo  root.  This  draught  to  be  repeated  every  four 
hours.  The  common  brewer's  yeast  has  accomplished 
wonders  in  cases  of  putrid  fever,  a  wine-glassful  being 
given  every  two  or  three  hours  When  the  fever  has 
evidently  subsided,  administer  a  tonic  made  of  an  ounce 
of  Peruvian  bark  and  half  an  ounce  of  snake-root  in  a 
quart  of  port  or  madeira  wine,  and  give  two  table-spoons- 
ful every  two  or  three  hours.  The  tepid-bath  may  be 
used  in  this  disease  with  advantage,  but  cold  bathing 
should  be  avoided.  In  these  cases  of  fever,  the  best  food 
is  the  whites  of  eggs  and  a  plentiful  use  of  ripe  straw- 
berries. 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN.  171 

Under  this  general  head  many  physicians  have  placed 
the  plague,  which,  mercifully,  need  not  be  treated  of  par- 
ticularly in  these  United  States. 


SCARLET  FEVER,  OR  SCARLATINA. 

This  disease  takes  its  name  from  the  color  of  the  skin 
of  those  afflicted  with  it,  or  the  large  red  blotches  they 
bear.  It  most  generally  prevails  in  autumn,  when  whole 
families  are  sometimes  visited  by  it,  though  it  is  most 
prevalent  among  children.  It  usually  commences  like 
other  fevers,  with  chills  and  shivering  followed  by  heats, 
succeeding  each  other ;  attended  also  with  nausea  and 
vomiting,  thirst  and  headache.  The  pulse  is  quickened, 
the  breathing  irregular,  the  eyes  are  red,  and  the  eyelids 
swollen.  It  may  be  distinguished  from  the  measles  by 
the  eruptions  of  scarlatina  being  of  a  fiery  redness,  and 
diffused  over  the  whole  body  instead  of  being  only  in 
spots;  neither  has  it  any  cough  or  watering  of  the  eyes. 
In  its  milder  form,  the  scarlatina  needs  but  very  little 
medical  treatment;  the  child,  however,  should  be  kept 
within  doors,  and  a  little  saffron  or  snake-root  tea  may 
be  given. 

When  vomiting  comes  on  in  connection  with  this  dis- 
ease, no  time  must  be  lost  in  giving  an  emetic  of  lobelia 


172  DISEASES    OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN. 

powder,  skunk  cabbage,  and  Cayenne  pepper,  as  already 
prescribed.  While  the  fever  is  on,  there  is  no  danger  of 
taking  cold,  so  that  the  child  may  throw  off  its  clothes 
at  will,  and  the  body  may  be  washed  even  with  cold 
water.  But  before  the  fever  turns,  that  is  before  the  skin 
begins  to  peel  off,  let  the  patient  be  frequently  put  into 
the  warm  bath.  Special  care  must  be  taken  to  keep  the 
bowels  well  opened ;  and  if  the  throat  is  sore  and  swollen, 
it  should  be  bathed  with  a  liniment  made  of  one  part  of 
spirits  of  turpentine,  and  two  of  sweet  oil,  applied  while 
warm.  We  have  been  told  that  in  the  West  India  Islands, 
where  this  disease  sometimes  assumes  a  malignant  form, 
many  cures  are  effected  by  a  preparation  very  easily 
made.  Take  two  table-spoonsful  of  Cayenne  pepper  and 
a  tea-spoonful  of  salt,  and  put  them  into  half  a  pint  of 
boiling  water.  When  this  mixture  has  stood  about  fifteen 
minutes,  add  half  a  pint  of  vinegar,  and  half  an  hour 
afterward  strain  the  whole  through  a  fine  cloth,  and  give 
two  table-spoonsful  every  half  hour.  If  it  be  thought 
necessary,  mustard-seed  poultices  may  be  applied  to  the 
bottoms  of  the  feet. 

If  putrid  symptoms  sbould  appear,  by  no  means  omit 
the  brewer's  yeast,  to  which  we  have  already  referred,  for 
it  is  always  safe.  Let  the  diet  be  the  same  as  we  have 
already  prescribed  for  fevers,  and  when  the  patient  be- 
gins to  recover,  let  special  care  be  taken  to  guard  against 
coia  and  wet,  for  he  will  then  be  in  danger  of  dropsy. 


FEVER  AND  AGUE. 

E  must  not  pass  from  the  general 
head  of  fevers  without  a  reference 
to  the  form  of  disease  too  well 
known  by  tens  of  thousands  in  the 
Southern  and  Western  parts  of  our 
land.  It  scarcely  needs  to  be 
described ;  suffice  it  then  to  say  that  it  has  three  stages — 
cold,  hot,  and  sweating.  Beginning  with  the  cold  stage, 
the  body  is  chilled  even  to  trembling  and  the  chattering 
of  the  teeth ;  languor,  listlessness,  and  yawning  seize  the 
body;  the  pulse  is  small,  quick  and  irregular;  the  cold, 
which  usually  begins  in  the  back  and  gradually  spreads 
over  the  whole  body,  is  followed  by  universal  shaking 
and  frequently  by  vomiting.  After  this  shaking,  thn 
warmth  of  the  body  gradually  returns,  and  is  soon  suc- 
ceeded by  great  burning  heat,  soreness  of  the  whole  body, 
acute  sensibility,  great  pain  in  the  head,  great  thirst, 
high-colored  urine,  and  a  quick,  strong,  hard  pulse.  After 
some  time,  probably  several  hours,  a  moisture  of  perspir- 
ation is  felt  in  the  face  and  neck,  and  gradually  extends 
over  the  whole  body ;  the  pulse  becomes  slow,  full,  and 
free-  the  urine  deposits  a  red  sediment,  the  bowels  are 
15*  (173) 


174  DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN. 

more  relaxed,  and  the  fever  gradually  leaves  the  patient, 
leaving  him  apparently  free  from  disease  for  twenty-four, 
forty-eight,  or  possibly  even  for  seventy-two  hours,  when 
he  is  again  called  to  pass  through  the  same  process. 

The  common  origin  of  this  kind  of  fever  is  miasma, 
arising  from  stagnant  water,  or  from  ground  first  plowed 
where  the  land  has  lain  for  ages  undisturbed.  The  very 
fertility  of  such  land,  when  thus  first  disturbed,  inflicts  this 
disease  on  the  neighborhood  around  it;  and  few  parts  of 
our  land  have  escaped  this  pestilence  till  cultivation,  drain- 
age, and  population  have  removed  the  evil.  To  guard 
against  it,  the  patient  must  live  well,  be  cautious  against 
fatigue,  anxiety,  and  disappointment,  and  seek  for  a 
high  and  dry  residence.  All  these  things,  especially  in 
the  South  and  West,  should  be  constantly  regarded ;  for 
the  disease,  though  once  removed,  may  return  again  from 
year  to  year,  even  for  many  years  in  succession. 

The  almost  universal  treatment  of  ague  and  fever  is  by 
calomel,  quinine,  and  arsenic;  but  after  long  trial  we 
doubt  exceedingly  whether  this  is  the  best  plan.  At  all 
events,  we  recommend  that  these  and  all  other  poisons 
should  only  be  given  by  a  skillful  hand.  We  recommend 
first  of  all  a  thorough  emetic  of  the  lobelia  and  its  accom- 
paniments, as  we  have  already  described  under  the  head 
of  typhus  fever,  to  be  preceded  by  the  vegetable  powder 
as  there  recommended.  The  emetic  is  best  given  about 
half  an  hour  before  the  cold  stage  comes  on,  and  the 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN  175 

vegetable  powder  an  hour  before  tbe  emetic.  These 
may  be  repeated  as  often  as  they  are  found  necessary 
Mustard  plasters  may  be  applied  to  the  feet,  which  should 
also  be  well  steeped  in  the  warm  bath ;  warm  acid  drinka 
should  be  freely  given,  as  also  a  little  hartshorn  in  pen- 
nyroyal tea;  a  warm  tamarind  beverage  is  also  very 
useful. 

Dr.  Sanborn  strongly  recommends  to  families  emigrating 
from  the  Northern  or  Eastern  States  to  those  in  the  South 
and  West,  a  preparation  which  strongly  commends  itself 
to  our  judgment.  Take  one  ounce  each  of  Peruvian  bark, 
Virginia  snake-root,  orange-peel,  thoroughwort  or  bone- 
set,  and  white-oak  bark,  and  put  them  into  a  quart  of  the 
best  Hollands  gin ;  when  they  have  stood  long  enough  to 
properly  mix,  take  from  half  to  two-thirds  of  a  wine- 
glassful  two  or  three  times  a  day.  A  smaller  quantity 
must  of  course  be  given  to  children  and  infants. 

A  fire  should  be  kept  in  the  room  of  the  patient  morn- 
ings and  evenings,  especially  in  damp  weather ;  he  should 
never  go  into  the  air  till  the  sun  has  risen,  and  should 
avoid  all  quack  medicines,  and  wear  flannel  next  the  skin. 
The  food  should  be  very  light,  and  the  drink  gruel,  whey, 
and  tea  of  the  inner  bark  of  the  white-oak. 

Ague  will  often  seize  the  face,  in  which  case  the  patient 
should  take  a  tea-spoonful  of  Cayenne  pepper,  tie  it  up 
in  a  thin  rag,  dip  it  in  a  little  oil  of  cinnamon,  or  of 
spearmint,  and  put  it  between  the  lip  and  jaw.    Well  soak 


176  DISEASES   OF  MEX  AND  WOMEN. 

the  feet  in  hot  water,  and  sit  by  the  side  of  a  good  fire 
till  the  pain  is  gone. 

While  engaged  in  writing  these  pages,  we  have  met 
with  a  passage  in  the  papers  which  will  assuredly  interest 
our  readers,  and  may  profitably  lead  to  experiments  on 
the  matter  to  which  it  relates: — Lieutenant  M.  F.  Maury 
writes  to  the  "Kural  New  Yorker"  an  account  of  an  experi- 
ment he  has  made  in  the  cultivation  of  the  sun-flower,  as 
a  means  of  preventing  chills  and  fevers.  He  had  noticed 
that  the  negroes  at  the  South  cultivate  this  plant  round 
their  pigsties,  under  the  idea  that  they  "  make  it  healthy" 
in  the  neighborhood.  He  was  also  aware  that  belts  of 
trees  around  infected  places  were  deemed  to  have  the 
effect  of  purifying  the  atmosphere.  The  locality  of  the 
Observatory  at  Washington  was  one  at  which  people  were 
very  subject  to  fever  and  ague  every  season.  Last  year, 
Lieutenant  M.  had  a  belt,  about  forty-five  feet,  and  one 
hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  and  eighty  yards  from 
the  buildings,  prepared  and  planted  with  the  sun- flower, 
which  grew  finely.  The  result  was  that  none  of  the 
people  engaged  on  the  premises  were  attacked  with 
"shakes,"  although  the  disease  was  universally  prevalent 
in  the  vicinity.  This  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  year 
of  exemption  since  the  Observatory  was  built.  A  repe- 
tition of  the  culture  of  the  plant  for  several  years  may 
settle  something  in  regard  to  its  sanitary  influence. 


BILIOUS  FEVER. 

'''^yf\-  ROM  fever  and  ague,  which  we  have 
just  described,  to  bilious  fever,  now 
under  consideration,  the  only  im- 
portant distinction  seems  to  be 
that,  while  in  the  former  case  there 
is  at  times  an  entire  cessation  of  disease,  in  the  latter 
there  is  only  a  leaving  of  the  fever  for  a  time;  so  that  it 
will  be  seen  the  general  symptoms,  as  well  as  the  treat- 
ment demanded,  are  nearly  the  same.  In  bilious  fever 
the  pulse  is  more  full,  the  skin  after  the  chill  is  very  hot, 
and  often  has  a  yellow  hue,  like  as  in  jaundice;  the  head 
has  great  pain,  and  the  tongue  is  brown;  the  light  is 
often  painful  to  the  eyes,  and  the  patient  calls  for  dark- 
ness in  his  room;  he  has  an  unpleasant  taste  in  his  mouth, 
his  bowels  are  confined,  he  loathes  food,  but  calls  for  acid 
cooling  drinks. 

Emetics  and  purgatives  are  indispensable  in  this  case, 
and  under  the  direction  of  a  skillful  physician  the  patient 
may  be  freely  bled.  About  three  grains  of  powdered 
ipecacuanha  may  be  given  in  syrup  or  in  sugar  and  water 
three  or  four  times  a  day;  or  if  more  pleasant  to  the 
patient,  this  quantity  may  be  mixed  up  with  gum  arable 

L  (177) 


178 


DISEASES  OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN. 


or  honey,  and  given  in  the  form  of  a  pill.  This  will  give 
action  to  the  stomach.  Catnip  or  boneset  tea  should  be 
freely  taken  after  each  dose,  to  keep  the  skin  moist.  The 
tepid  bath  will  be  found  useful;  and  if  the  patient  is  too 
weak  to  use  the  bath,  let  his  body,  as  he  lies  in  bed,  be 

well  fomented 
with  hot  water 
and  a  sponge.  A 
physician  should 
be  called  in  all 
these  cases ;  but 
if  that  cannot  be 
done,  let  the  care- 
ful nurse  read 
what  we  have 
written  of  fevers, 
and  use  the  remedies  prescribed,  so  far  as  they  accord 
with  the  peculiar  symptoms  of  the  patient;  for  in  almost 
every  case  one  kind  of  fever  so  mingles  with  another  that 
the  treatment  in  each  requires  to  be  somewhat  varied. 


BONESET,  OK  THOBOCOBWOBT. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  THEOAT. 


Kg  reader  who  has  either  felt  or  seen  the  sufferings 
of  those  who  have  been  subjected  to   diseases  of  th« 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN.  179 

throat,  will  think  they  ought  to  be  neglected.  IIow 
many  have  speedily  been  reduced  to  much  pain,  feeble- 
ness, and  even  death,  by  neglecting  them  even  for  a  few 
hours.  Every  wise  man  will  take  care  of  the  purity  of 
his  stomach,  from  the  impurity  of  which  the  far  larger 
part  of  throat  diseases  originate;  and  will  guard  against 
colds,  the  other  fruitful  parent  of  such  diseases.  Con- 
stantly tying  up  the  throat,  however,  in  shawls  or  thick 
handkerchiefs,  almost  producing  suffocation,  rather  in- 
creases the  evil  than  lessens  it.  "We  speak  from  personal 
knowledge:  for  thirty  years  ago,  we  scarcely  ever  went 
into  the  open  air  without  covering  up  the  throat  and  face, 
and  whenever  by  any  chance  we  neglected  it,  sore  throat, 
not  unfrequently  quinsy,  was  the  result.  We  gradually 
changed  our  plan,  and  dressed  more  naturally  and  loosely 
about  the  neck,  and  have  since  scarcely  had  to  complain 
of  it  once  in  seven  years. 

Disease  of  the  throat  is  always  attended  with  inflam- 
mation, which  usually  assumes  one  of  two  forms,  which 
we  will  treat  of  separately.     The  first  is  called — 

Putrid  sore  throat. — This  disease  particularly  affects 
the  glands  of  the  throat,  and  is  contagious.  Its  symp'toma 
are  hot,  hurried,  and  offensive  breathing;  dry,  burning 
skm,  great  pain  in  swallowing,  and  a  fiery  red  color  of 
the  mouth  and  throat;  it  is  frequently  preceded  by 
chilliness  and  giddiness,  and  attended  with  great  debility* 
After  a  few  days,  blotches  of  a  dark  red  color  appear  on 


180  DISEASES  OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN. 

the  face,  wbicli  sometimes  extend  till  they  cover  the  whole 
body ;  small  brown  spots  appear  inside  the  throat,  which 
soon  become  sores  or  ulcers,  a  brown  fur  covers  the  tongue, 
and  if  relief  be  not  soon  obtained,  death  follows. 

As  to  the  remedies,  we  say  first  of  all  avoid  bleeding, 
purging,  and  all  preparations  of  mercury.  The  disease 
itself  is  sufficiently  debilitating  without  taking  any  thing 
to  enfeeble  the  patient.  Assuredly  the  system  must  be 
cleansed  by  some  means,  such  as  an  emetic,  or  what  we 
decidedly  prefer,  by  the  use  of  brewer's  yeast.  A  writer 
in  Nelson's  "American  Lancet,"  gives  a  narrative  well 
worthy  of  attention.  It  is  of  a  boy  twelve  years  old, 
who  had  all  the  symptoms  of  malignant  sore  throat,  with 
eruption  of  the  face  and  neck  of  a  dark  color;  the  erup- 
tion extended  over  the  whole  body  on  the  fourth  day; 
there  were  also  symptoms  of  ulceration  and  typhoid  fever ; 
pulse  small,  thready,  feeble  and  quick;  mind  wandering 
and  incessant  muttering;  inability  to  articulate  intelli- 
gibly ;  alternate  severe  pains  in  the  head  and  abdomen ; 
little  sensibility  in  the  ttroat;  small  white  gray  spots 
throughout  the  mouth,  tongue,  and  fauces,  and  numerous 
petecchiae  on  the  face  and  abdomen.  I  ordered  half  a  pint 
of  fresh  brewer's  yeast,  mixed  with  half  a  pint  of  water, 
and  brown  sugar  sufficient  to  flavor,  one  table-spoonful 
to  be  taken  every  two  hours ;  gargle  of  borate  of  soda, 
honey,  and  infusion  of  sage;  occasional  sinapisms  to  the 
throat.     Up  to  this  time  the  fever  and  eruption  had  been 


DISEASES  OF  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  181 

regularly  intermittent,  coming  on  about  two  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  subsiding  about  twelve  at  noon,  when  the  skin 
became  quite  smooth,  and  showed  very  slight  signs  of  the 
eruption.  Great  change  had  taken  place  next  morning ; 
lie  had  rested  tolerably  well  during  the  night ;  his  tongue 
and  mouth  were  nearly  relieved  and  clean ;  his  fever  and 
eruption  were  quite  moderate,  and  passed  off  before  nine 
o'clock;  he  could  eat  with  facility,  and  food  was  allowed 
him  freely.  He  continued  the  yeast  mixture  for  two  day? 
more,  when  all  that  was  required  to  constitute  him  per- 
fectly well  was  strength. 

Good  effects  bave  often  followed  a  gargle  made  of  yeast 
and  milk,  or  of  sage  and  vinegar,  with  a  little  honey,  a 
small  portion  of  which  may  be  swallowed  with  great  ad- 
vantage. Dr.  Beach  strongly  recommends  a  gargle  which 
was  universally  successful  among  the  soldiers  of  the  Eevo- 
lutionary  war.  This  is  made  of  a  handful  each  of  the 
bark  of  upland  sumach,  high  blackberry-root,  bark  of 
the  common  white  elm,  white-oak,  and  nanny  berry,  and 
half  a  handful  of  small  black  snake-root ;  make  a  strong 
decoction,  add  to  it  a  piece  of  alum,  sweeten  it  well  with 
honey,  and  then  bottle  it  for  use.  When  needed,  apply 
it  to  the  throat  with  a  white  linen  rag,  and  thougb  it  may 
at  first  produce  a  little  irritation,  the  cure  will  make 
ample  amends  for  it. 

We  need  not  say  that  light  nutritious  food  must  be 
given  to  the  patient;  but  if  he  sinks,  and  his  pulse  is  very 
16 


182  DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN". 

feeble,  hy  all  means  give  wine  and  water,  or  whatever 
may  act  as  a  stimulant,  which  may  meet  his  wish. 

The  other  form  of  which  we  have  spoken  in  which  in- 
flammation attacks  the  throat  is  called  Quinsy.  This 
affects  the  mucous  membrane  which  lines  the  throat. 
Like  all  similar  diseases,  it  originates  in  the  check  of 
perspiration,  wet  feet,  damp  beds,  impure  moist  air,  in- 
toxication, and  unwholesome  food;  and  is  most  prevalent 
in  spring  and  autumn.  Loud  speaking  or  singing,  or 
sitting  in  a  newly  plastered  house,  are  also  the  frequent 
forerunners  of  the  disease.  Whenever  there  is  a  tendency 
to  the  disease,  it  is  important,  at  least  every  morning,  to 
sponge  the  throat  with  cold  salt  water.  As  the  disease 
is  often  epidemic  and  infectious,  great  caution  should 
be  always  used. 

Quinsy  manifests  itself  by  a  difficulty  of  swallowing 
and  breathing,  accompanied  by  a  redness  and  tumor  in 
one  or  both  tonsils;  the  throat  is  dry,  the  tongue  foul, 
the  voice  hoarse,  the  expectoration  frequent  and  difficult, 
and  fever  more  or  less  troubles  the  patient.  We  have 
ourselves  had  this  disease,  attended  with  delirium  and 
almost  suffocation.  Its  termination  was  in  suppuration, 
discharged  into  the  throat,  producing  instantaneous  re- 
lief except  from  exhaustion,  arising  from  entire  inability 
to  swallow  even  a  drop  of  water  for  five  or  six  days. 

Much  that  we  have  already  said  under  the  head  of 
Putrid  sore  throat  will  be  found  useful  in  connection  with 


DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN.  183 

the  treatment  of  Quinsy.  In  this  case  local  applications  are 
often  of  great  value,  and  when  inflammation  is  but  slight, 
it  is  seldom  necessary  to  have  resort  to  powerful  remedies. 
A  tea  or  coffee-pot  of  hot  water  or  vinegar  may  be  pro- 
vided, and  the  patient  may  obtain  great  relief  from 
breathing  its  steam  through  the  spout  or  funnel.  Gargles 
made  of  port  wine  or  brandy  and  water,  often  do  much 
to  restore  the  tone  of  the  fibres  when  relaxed  from 
distension.  If  the  attack  increase  in  its  severity,  make  a 
^strong  decoction  of  equal  parts  of  wormwood,  hops,  and 
catnip,  by  boiling  them  from  one  to  two  hours  in  equal 
parts  of  soft  water  and  vinegar;  put  the  preparation  into 
a  large  pitcher,  over  which  place  a  funnel,  by  which 
means  the  patient  may  inhale  the  steam  for  fifteen  or 
twenty  minutes  ai  a  time,  every  two  hours,  till  the  symp- 
toms disappear.  Bind  the  herbs  which  have  been  thus 
used  round  the  neck. 

It  is  important,  as  soon  as  the  disease  is  really  found 
to  have  taken  hold  of  the  system,  to  administer  the  lo- 
belia emetic,  which  we  have  already  described;  and 
having  done  this,  prepare  a  liniment  of  half  an  ounce 
each  of  sassafras  oil,  olive  oil,  and  spirits  of  hartshorn ; 
and  mix  with  these  two  drachms  of  gum  camphor ;  warm 
this  preparation,  and  bathe  the  throat  as  long  as  the 
patient  can  bear  it ;  after  which  bind  a  piece  of  flannel 
round  the  neck.  This  should  be  repeated  several  times 
during  the  day. 


184 


DISEASES    OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN. 


Well  soaking  the  feet  in  warm  water,  at  least  every 
night,  is  often  useful  in  cases  of  quinsy ;  and  if  food  or 
drink  can  be  taken  at  all  it  should  be  warm,  light,  and 
soothing. 


MUMPS. 

To  a  great  extent  this  disease  may  be  placed  in  con- 
nection with  maladies  of  the  throat,  as  it  is  chiefly  a 

swelling  of  its  glands.  It  is 
contagious,  and  usually  does 
its  work  in  the  spring  of 
the  year.  It  is  preceded  by 
heaviness,  lassitude,  and 
general  uneasiness.  A  swell- 
ing of  the  glands  under  the 
jaw,  and  difEused  over  the 
neck,  next  takes  place,  which 
sometimes  increases  so  as 
greatly  to  disfigure  the  coun- 
tenance. This  disease  in  it- 
self is  attended  with  no 
danger,  but  if  cold  is  taken 
in  connection  with  it,  fatal 
results  may  follow. 

It  is  comparatively  seldom  that  medicine  of  any  kind 


WILD  nisiao. 


DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN.  185 

is  necessary  ia  this  disease.  The  patient  should  be  kept 
in  a  warm  bed,  and  perspiration  promoted  by  the  free 
use  of  diluting  liquors,  such  as  balm  tea.  Bathe  the  feet 
in  a  tepid  bath,  and  keep  the  bowels  gently  open.  If  the 
swelling  greatly  increases,  put  on  a  poultice  of  wild  in- 
digo and  slippery  elm ;  and  if  the  testicles  swell,  bathe 
them  with  camphor  and  sweet  oil,  and  cover  them  well 
with  cotton  wool.  Should  there  still  be  great  pain,  pre- 
pare a  liniment  of  one  drachm  of  scraped  Castile  soap, 
half  an  ounce  of  sassafras  oil,  one  ounce  of  sweet  oil,  and 
three  drachms  of  camphor;  well  mix  them,  and  apply  the 
liniment  warm  three  times  a  day. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  TEETH. 

In  no  part  of  the  world  are  human  teeth  so  greatly 

exposed  to  disease  as  in  the  United  States;  and  though 

somewhat  of  this  may  be  owing  to  climate,  the  far  greater 

part  arises  from  neglect  of  cleansing  them,  even  from 

early  childhood;  from  the  use  of  excessive  quantities  of 

sweets,  from  taking  hot  drinks,  from  the  use  of  tobacco 

by  men,  and  from  eating  snuff  by  women.     Who  can 

look  over  this  list  of  causes  and  be  surprised  at  the  ex- 

tent  of  the  evils  of  which  we  are  now  writing?     We 

might  indeed  add  to  these  causes,  using  the  teeth  for  the 
16* 


186  DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN. 

unnatural  purpose  of  cracking  nuts,  picking  them  with 
pins,  and  in  various  other  ways  injuring  their  enamel. 

Few  things  afford  more  anguish  than  the  toothache, 
while  nothing  excites  less  sympathy.  When  an  attack 
comes  on,  at  once  cleanse  the  stomach  by  mild  purgatives 
or  a  gentle  emetic ;  use  the  tepid  foot-bath  every  night, 
and  take  only  light  diet  and  cooling  drinks.  All  this 
intimates  what  we  hold  to  be  true,  that  toothache  is  not 
merely  a  local  affection,  but  the  symptom  of  a  diseased 
system. 

In  the  application  of  remedies  to  the  teeth  affected, 
avoid  opiates  in  every  form.  Bathe  them  with  cold  or  warm 
water,  or  use  a  gargle  made  of  sage  or  mulberry  leaves ; 
or  dissolve  the  rob,  or  conserve  of  elder  in  a  little  beer  and 
apply  it  often.  Or  chew  a  little  mustard  seed,  or  a  few 
corns  of  strong  black  pepper,  or  a  little  gentian  root.  It 
lias  been  said  that  the  pain  of  toothache  is  relieved  oftener 
by  a  few  drops  of  hartshorn  on  a  bit  of  lint  inserted  into 
the  cavity  of  the  tooth,  than  by  any  other  application. 
Keep  a  vial  of  it,  well  corked,  in  the  house,  and  if  you 
are  fortunate  enough  to  need  it  for  nothing  else,  use  it  to 
restore  the  color  destroyed  by  fruit  stains.  If  the  whole 
side  of  the  face  be  pained,  and  sound  teeth  as  well  as 
those  which  are  not  so,  the  suffering  arises  from  rheuma- 
tism, and  may  perhaps  be  removed  by  the  use  of  lime- 
water,  made  by  putting  a  piece  of  lime  into  a  quart  bottle 


DISEASES  OF  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  187 

of  water,  and  rinsing  the  mouth  with  it  two  or  three 
times  a  day. 

One  of  the  worst  diseases  of  the  teeth  is  the  tartar 
which  is  very  frequently  allowed  to  accumulate  on  them. 
This  may  be  prevented  by  the  use  of  a  stiff  brush  and 
pounded  charcoal  mixed  with  a  like  quantity  of  Peruvian 
bark,  used  every  morning  with  a  good  quantity  of  water. 
Or  what  may  be  obtained  with  greater  ease,  and  will 
answer  the  purpose  quite  as  well,  is  common  soot  and 
salt  used  in  the  same  manner.  But  be  sure  that  you  do 
not  use  acids  for  this  purpose,  for  they  are  every  way 
injurious. 

From  the  time  that  the  patriotic  George  "Washington 
gave  five  hundred  dollars  for  a  set  of  artificial  teeth,  these 
articles  have  been  increasingly  fashionable  among  us,  till 
the  profession  of  dentistry  has  covered  our  land.  Let 
the  reader  be  careful,  if  he  needs  a  dentist  to  plug  his  old 
teeth,  or  to  furnish  him  with  new  ones,  that  he  selects  for 
his  purpose  a  man  of  skill,  who  will  not  aggravate  his 
disease,  nor  obtain  his  money  under  false  pretenses. 


HEAD-ACHE. 

Head-ache  varies  both  in  its  causes  and  symptoms  at 
different  times,  even  in  the  same   persons.     But   these 


188  DISEASES  OF    MEN  AND  WOMEN. 

variations  are  not  so  great  as  to  demand  different  descrip. 
tions  or  much  change  in  treatment.  The  general  causes 
are,  local  irritation,  suddenly  checked  perspiration,  ex- 
posure to  cold  or  damp,  a  peculiar  irritability  of  the 
nervous  system,  and  a  morbid  condition  of  the  stomach, 
liver,  and  bowels.  The  last  is  by  far  the  most  common 
cause,  and  we  shall,  therefore,  chiefly  give  remedies  for 
this  form  of  it ;  the  patient,  however,  or  his  friends,  must 
exercise  judgment  in  selecting  from  the  different  ones  we 
recommend. 

In  very  far  the  larger  number  of  cases,  it  may  be  im- 
portant as  soon  as  may  be  to  administer  an  emetic.  This 
for  an  adult  person  may  be  twenty  grains  of  ipecacuanha, 
mixed  with  three  grains  of  tartar  emetic,  and  given  in  a 
little  syrup  or  sugar  and  water.  When  the  operation  is 
over,  an  anodyne  may  be  given,  composed  of  one  grain 
of  opium,  two  grains  of  camphor,  and  half  a  grain  of  tar- 
tar emetic,  made  into  a  pill.  After  it  has  been  taken 
about  two  hours,  during  which  the  patient  should  repose 
on  his  bed,  a  cup  of  strong  tea  or  coffee  may  be  given. 

Citric  acid,  or  the  acid  of  lemons,  which  may  be  had 
at  any  drug  store,  is  often  of  very  great  service.  Put  a 
tea-spoonful  or  two  into  a  glass  of  cold  water  and  drink 
it.  Lemonade  has  cured  many  a  sick  head-ache.  As  has 
also  a  table- spoonful  of  finely  powdered  charcoal,  or  of 
citrate  of  magnesia ;  they  should  be  taken  nicely  mixed  in 
a  little  cold  water,  or  for  the  magnesia  many  prefer  milk. 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN".  189 

When  head-ache  arises  from  debility,  stimulants  are  re- 
quired, especially  for  delicate  females.  Let  the  patient 
take  a  glass  of  Madeira  wine  in  warm  water,  with  sugar 
and  nutmeg,  once  or  twice  a  day,  taking  special  care  that 
the  wine  is  good. 

When  the  disease  proceeds  from  a  determination  of 
blood  to  the  head,  the  feet  should  be  well  soaked  in  hot 
water  every  night,  and  rubbed  with  spirits  and  Cayenne 
pepper.  Mustard  or  horseradish  plasters  may  also  be 
laid  on  the  feet  or  between  the  shoulders,  with  great  ad- 
vantage. Cupping  or  bleeding  may  be  used  under  the 
direction  of  a  physician.  A  little  ether  dropped  into  the 
palm  of  the  hand  and  applied  to  the  forehead,  will  some- 
times remove  a  violent  head-ache;  so  also  has  freely 
applying  cold  water  to  the  head  every  morning  effected 
a  cure  when  every  thing  else  has  failed.  Decoctions  of 
skunk  cabbage  and  of  Indian  hemp  are  very  useful  in 
the  disease.  So  also  are  bloodroot  and  bayberry  in  equal 
quantities  taken  as  snufif. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  EAR. 

The  ear  is  a  delicate  organ,  and  requires  to  be  tenderly 
dealt  with.  Its  diseases  are  various,  and  ought  to  be 
skillfully  treated.  We  may  mention  them  in  their 
various  forms. 


190  DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN. 

The  Ear-ache. — Many  persons  are  subject  to  this  when- 
ever they  take  a  common  cold,  while  in  other  cases  the 
pain  arises  from  decayed  teeth,  from  an  insect  crawling 
into  the  ear  during  sleep,  or  from  an  accumulation  of 
wax  in  that  part.  Of  course,  if  it  proceed  from  bad  teeth, 
the  sooner  they  are  extracted  the  better;  in  the  mean 
time  a  little  cotton  wool,  wetted  with  paregoric  and  sweet 
oil,  may  be  applied  with  advantage;  or  warm  a  little  fine 
salt,  put  it  in  a  bag  and  apply  it  to  the  ear;  or  make  a 
poultice  of  roasted  onions,  and  apply  it  to  the  ear,  after 
having  first  put  into  it  a  little  fine  cotton  wool. 

Sore  Ears. — We  mean  by  this  phrase  a  state  of  the  ear 
where  there  is  little  pain  and  no  inflammation,  but  merely 
a  soreness  and  perhaps  a  slight  eruption.  Wash  the 
parts  with  warm  water,  using  a  little  soft  soap ;  and 
having  done  this,  apply  a  scorched  linen  rag  to  it.  A 
grain  of  calomel  may  be  taken  every  night  for  a  week, 
excepting  the  bowels  are  very  open,  in  which  case  it 
should  only  be  given  every  alternate  night.  If  an  abscess 
be  formed,  foment  the  ear  with  a  stream  of  warm  water, 
and  apply  a  small  bag  of  chamomile  flowers  infused  in 
hot  water,  as  warm  as  it  can  be  borne.  A  warm  poultice 
of  bread  and  milk  may  also  be  used. 

Inflammation  of  the  ear  is  often  attended  with  great  pain, 
and  sometimes  with  very  serious  consequences,  as  con- 
vulsions, fever,  stupor,  and  delirium.  It  is  usually  brought 
on  by  exposure  to  a  partial  current  of  air,  or  cutting  the 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN.  191 

hair  very  short,  especially  in  winter.  A  discharge  of 
matter  from  the  affected  part  will  sometimes  continue 
for  several  years. 

Let  the  patient,  in  this  case,  use  the  tepid-bath  once  or 
twice,  and  the  tepid  foot-bath  every  night  or  thereabouts 
for  a  week,  apply  a  blister  or  mustard  plaster  behind  the 
ear,  and  take  a  preparation  of  a  scruple  of  nitre  and  ten 
grains  of  rhubarb  three  times  a  day.  Soap-suds,  or  a 
decoction  of  white-oak  injected  with  a  syringe  is  an  ex- 
cellent remedy.  Or  take  an  ounce  of  hops  and  simmer 
them  in  equal  parts  of  water  and  vinegar ;  enclose  them  in 
flannel  and  apply  them  over  the  ear,  repeating  the  appli- 
cation till  the  pain  subsides.  Perspiration  should  be 
promoted,  and  care  taken  against  cold. 

Deafness,  if  it  has  been  long  continued,  demands  the 
best  skill  which  can  be  obtained.  In  its  earlier  stages, 
however,  a  little  strong  salt  and  water  may  be  injected 
into  the  ear  with  advantage ;  or  Dr.  Brady,  an  eminent 
botanical  physician,  recommends  a  mixture  of  five  drops 
of  sassafras  oil,  and  half  an  ounce  of  sweet  oil;  a  few 
drops  dropped  into  the  ear  once  or  twice  a  day.  An  ad- 
mirable remedy  is  this  when  there  has  been  an  accumu- 
lation of  wax 


DISEASES  OF  THE  EYE. 


:l>^^        OW  beautiful,  how  intelligent, 

^^  ^^^       and  how  tender  is  the  eye. 

An    accident    which    would 


scarcely  be  felt  in  other  parts 
of  the  body,  might  take  away 
the  sight  for  life.  The  infi- 
nitely benevolent  Being  has 
placed  more  guards  around  the  inlet  to  light  and  beauty 
than  around  any  other  part  of  the  human  system,  and 
yet  it  is  exposed  to  many  dangers.  What  is  really  pain- 
ful to  think  of,  ignorant  pretenders  have  been  allowed 
to  practice  far  more  on  this  most  important  organ  than 
on  other  parts  of  our  frame ;  be  it  then  impressed  on  the 
mind  of  the  reader,  that  as  no  diseases  are  more  painfully 
distressing  than  those  of  the  eye,  so  none  are  more  diffi- 
cult to  cure. 

Before  we  enter  on  the  subject  of  the  diseases  of  the 
eye,  we  wish  to  say  a  few  words  of  a  practical  character 
on  the  subject  of  spectacles.  Sir  David  Brewster  has  very 
wisely  said  that  no  opinion  is  more  common,  and  cer- 
tainly no  one  more  incorrect,  than  that  it  is  prudent  to 
avoid  the  artificial  helps  to  the  eyes  so  long  as  they  are 
(192) 


DISEASES   OF  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  193 

not  absolutely  indispensable.  The  human  eye  is  too  deli- 
cate a  structure  to  bear  continual  strain  without  injury  ; 
and  the  true  rule  is  to  commence  the  use  of  glasses  as 
Boon  as  we  can  see  better  with  them  than  without  them, 
and  always  to  employ  such  as  will  render  vision  most 
comfortable  and  pleasant.  The  spectacles  habitually 
used  for  ordinary  purposes  may  not  be  adequate  to  certain 
occasional  demands,  such  as  reading  very  fine  print,  ex- 
amining maps,  etc.  To  meet  these  cases,  a  hand  reading 
glass,  two  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter,  to  be  used  in 
conjunction  with  the  spectacles,  and  never  without  them, 
is  strongly  recommended.  A  similar  use  of  the  reading- 
glass  is  also  recommended  to  short-sighted  persons  in 
conjunction  with  the  concave  spectacles,  when  examining 
minute  objects. 

Our  young  readers,  at  least,  will  forgive  us  for  a  Ime 
or  two  transcribed  from  one  of  the  best  writers  in  Europe, 
in  a  recent  number  of  the  "  Quarterly  Review."  He 
says: — "Dark  blue  eyes  are  most  common  in  persons  of 
delicate,  refined,  or  effeminate  nature ;  light  blue,  and 
much  more,  gray  eyes,  in  the  hardy  and  active.  Greenish 
eyes  have  generally  the  same  meaning  as  the  gray.  Hazel 
eyes  are  the  more  usual  indications  of  a  mind  masculinCj 
vigorous,  and  profound."  As  a  commentary  on  the  re* 
viewer's  text,  we  may  add,  that  Shakspeare  had  hazel 
eyes,  Swift  blue  eyes,  (azure  as  the  heavens,)  Milton, 
Scott,  and  Byron  gray  eyes. 

17  -vr 


194  DISEASES  OF  MEN  AND  WOMEN. 

It  would  be  folly  in  a  work  like  this  to  prescribe  for 
blindness,  or  for  cataract;  as  every  one  must  see  the  im- 
portance of  great  skill  in  diseases  which,  under  the  best 
possible  treatment,  are  seldom  cured.  We  may,  however, 
put  the  reader  in  possession  of  the  best  methods  of  re- 
moving inflammation  from  these  tender  organs. 

Inflammation  of  the  eyes  generally  arises  from  cold, 
from  substances,  such  as  dust  or  small  insects,  lodging 
under  the  eyelids,  exposure  to  a  strong  light,  or  excessive 
application  to  reading,  writing,  or  sewing.  The  symptoms 
are  redness,  heat,  pain,  aversion  from  the  light,  and  the 
efitusion  of  tears.  In  very  severe  cases  there  is  a  violent 
throbbing  and  darting  pain  in  the  eye,  which  feels  greatly 
oppressed;  every  wink  adds  to  the  pain,  which  often  re- 
sembles the  pricking  of  a  needle  or  pin ;  there  is  some 
times  a  considerable  swelling,  and  the  fever  seems  to 
affect  the  whole  system. 

In  the  early  stages  of  the  disease,  we  do  not  recommend 
much  medicine.  Let  the  patient  take  possession  of  a 
moderately  darkened  room,  give  entire  rest  to  the  eyes,  and 
bathe  them  with  a  little  warm  milk  and  water,  into  which 
may  be  put  a  few  drops  of  pure  brandy.  Some  physicians 
recommend  the  frequent  use  of  rose-water ;  this  in  some 
cases  may  be  useful,  but  in  others  it  increases  the  dis- 
ease it.  is  intended  to  remove. 

If  these  simple  remedies,  with  low  diet  and  rest,  do  not 
lessen  the  complaint,  a  cold  white-lead  poultice,  with  a 


DISEASES  OF  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  195 

little  parsley,  may  be  bound  over  the  eye  and  kept  there 
during  the  night;  or  a  roasted  apple  may  be  used.  A 
small  blister  placed  over  the  eye  is  almost  invariably 
useful.  A  few  drops  of  laudanum  infused  in  water,  and 
the  eye  washed  with  it,  has  been  found  successful  in  re- 
moving inflammation.  Dr.  Beach  says  that  nothing  is  so 
powerful  in  this  case  as  a  poultice  made  of  the  slippery- 
elm  bark. 

The  late  eccentric  but  eminently  talented  Dr.  Aber- 
nethy,  constantly  taught  that  nearly  all  the  diseases  of 
the  eye  arose  from  the  neglect  of  the  stomach;  and  to  a 
great  extent  he  was  right.  Care  in  the  selection  of  food, 
keeping  the  bowels  in  a  healthy  condition,  and  daily 
bathing  the  eyes  in  cold  water,  and  when  the  first  indica- 
tion of  undue  warmth  in  the  eye  presents  itself,  dropping 
one  drop  of  sweet  oil  into  it,  would  do  more  than  all 
other  things  put  together  to  guard  against  the  evils  of 
which  we  have  been  now  writinuj. 


^  NEURALGIA. 

The  manners  of  society,  changes  in  diet,  and  varying 
modes  of  living  and  clothing,  tend  to  changes  of  disease; 
and  fashion  changes,  as  in  every  thing  else,  the  very 
names  of  the  diseases  by  which  we  suffer.     Hence  what 


1901  DISEASES  OF   MEN  AXD  WOMEN. 

used  to  be  called  Tic  Douloureux^  now  takes  the  name  of 
Neuralgia.  The  disease  consists  essentially  in  violent 
pain  in  a  particular  nerve,  or  particular  branches  of  a 
nerve.  The  pain  is  sharp,  lancing,  lacerating,  or  darting, 
and  occurs  in  paroxysms  of  longer  or  shorter  duration. 
The  disease  may  affect  nearly  every  part  of  the  body ; 
neither  the  head,  the  face,  nor  the  teeth,  the  muscles  of 
the  side,  the  back,  nor  the  limbs  are  secure  from  it;  nor 
even  the  stomach  and  bowels.  There  is  a  larga  class  of 
persons  in  our  country  who  suffer  from  pains  and  aches, 
presenting  a  great  variety  of  anomalous  symptoms,  which 
after  all  characterize  no  definite  disease;  and  who  de- 
scribe themselves  only  as  somewhat  better  or  worse,  but 
always  out  of  health.  Every  new  physician  and  every 
fresh  remedy  affords  a  present  relief,  but  nothing  cures 
them.  These  persons  are  said  to  be  nervous^  and  the 
description  is  a  correct  one,  for  nervous  pains  and  aches 
go  to  make  up  their  lives.  Occasionally  this  miserable 
monotony  of  nervousness  is  broken  in  upon  by  a  severe  fit 
of  neuralgia^  located  in  a  particular  nerve,  from  which  the 
aflfection  receives  its  name.  It  is  called  tic  douloureux, 
when  it  is  confined  to  the  face,  and  sciatica,  when  it  is 
located  in  the  sciatic  nerve,  which  passes  down  the  leg. 

A  severe  and  long-protracted  neuralgia  is  no  trifling 
affair;  for  no  suffering  is  more  intolerable,  or  more  to  be 
dreaded.  Neuralgia  may  be  induced  by  all  the  influences 
that  have  a  tendency  to  depress  the  general  health,  such 


DISEASES   OF    MEN  AND  WOMEN".  197 

as  residence  in  damp  localities,  exposure  to  sudden 
changes  of  temperature,  nriental  excitement,  fatigue,  etc.; 
but  its  most  common  cause  is  the  habitual  use  of  narcotic 
stimulants.  We  have  rarely  met  with  an  individual  who 
has  suffered  from  neuralgia  who  has  not  been  addicted  to 
the  use  of  tea,  coffee,  opium  or  tobacco,  in  some  form,  and 
we  have  almost  invariably  found  that  the  health  has  im- 
proved when  these  articles  have  been  abandoned.  All 
these  agents  act  as  stimulants  of  some  particular  organs, 
and  increase  their  activity  at  the  expense  of  others.  The 
organs  which  are  for  a  time  over-stimulated,  suffer  a  de- 
pression when  the  effects  of  the  stimulants  have  passed 
off.  During  this  depression,  the  individual  becomes 
subject  to  various  nervous  complaints.  Uneasiness,  dis- 
tress, pain,  lassitude,  and  fatigue  are  experienced  without 
any  apparent  cause.  The  individual,  while  more  sus- 
ceptible to  nervous  impressions,  is  less  able  to  bear  them 
with  impunity. 

The  full  effect  of  narcotic  stimulants  is  not  perceived 
at  first.  Hence  they  are  often  used  for  several  years 
without  apparent  injury,  and  then  their  effects  become  so 
evident  as  not  to  be  mistaken.  In  like  manner,  it  re- 
quires considerable  time  to  recover  from  their  effects 
when  their  use  has  been  abandoned.  He  who  has  become 
nervous  from  the  habitual  use  of  either  tea  or  coffee,  opium 
or  tobacco,  must  expect  that  it  will  require  one  or  two 
years  to  restore  his  nervous  system  to  its  natural  vigorous 
17* 


198  DISEASES   OF  MEN   AND  WOMEN. 

condition,  although  he  may  be  encouraged  with  an  almost 
immediate  and  gradual  improvement  of  health.  Every 
physician  will  tell  you  that  neuralgia  has  increased  among 
us  in  about  the  same  proportion  as  tea  and  coffee,  tobacco 
and  opium.  None  of  these  possess  nutrition  in  any  con- 
siderable degree;  even  coffee,  the  best  of  them  all,  has 
been  greatly  over-rated;  its  nutritive  qualities  are  almost 
entirely  the  sugar  and  cream  by  which  it  is  usually  ac- 
companied ;  tea  is  a  stimulant,  as  the  ladies  well  know, 
to  the  social  feelings;  but  taking  it  is  very  often  followed 
by  depression  of  spirits.  Of  tobacco,  snuff,  and  opium, 
we  have  already  spoken ;  and  if  our  readers  wish  to  be 
nervous  or  neuralgic,  we  recommend  a  plentiful  use  of 
them  all. 


APOPLEXY. 

This  alarming  disease  sometimes  arises  from  debility, 
but  more  frequently  from  high  living  and  inactive  habits ; 
it  chiefly  attacks  the  aged  in  the  months  of  winter,  and 
especially  in  rainy  seasons.  Its  immediate  cause  is  a 
compression  of  the  brain,  occasioned  by  an  excess  of 
blood  or  watery  humors.  It  commences  in  giddiness, 
pain  and  swimming  in  the  head,  loss  of  memory,  drowsi- 
ness, and  hard  breathing.     The  slightest  indication  of 


DISEASES  OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN.  199 

these  symptoms  should  lead  to  a  slender  diet,  purgatives, 
and  bleeding. 

"When  the  patient  is  really  seized  with  a  fit  of  apo- 
plexy, a  physician  must  be  immediately  sent  for.  There 
is,  however,  no  difficulty  in  saying  what  must  be  done 
even  before  he  can  arrive.  The  great  object  in  such  a 
case  is  to  equalize  the  circulation  of  the  blood,  and  es- 
pecially to  draw  it  from  the  head.  Immerse  the  feet  as 
soon  as  possible  in  warm  water,  and  rub  them  well  with 
flannel;  make  the  clothing,  especially  about  the  neck, 
quite  loose,  except  the  garters,  which  should  be  made 
much  tighter  than  usual;  bathe  the  whole  body  with  a 
liniment  of  African  cayenne,  steeped  in  alcohol,  applied 
quite  hot;  apply  blisters  or  mustard  plasters  between  the 
shoulders  and  to  the  bottom  of  the  feet;  or  hot  bricks 
dipped  in  vinegar  may  be  kept  at  the  feet  instead  of  the 
blister.     The  bowels  must  be  very  freely  opened. 

Excepting  in  cases  of  extreme  debility,  the  more  simple 
the  food  and  the  less  in  quantity  the  better.  Tamarind 
water  or  cream  of  tartar  whey,  is  the  best  drink  which 
can  be  given,  except  the  patient  seems  liable  to  sink  from 
debility;  in  such  a  case  some  mild  stimulant  should  be 
administered,  such  as  three  or  four  grains  of  the  salts  of 
hartshorn  mixed  in  sugar  and  a  few  drops  of  water,  or  a 
few  drops  of  the  spirits  of  lavender,  or  the  sweet  spirits 
of  nitre  may  be  given. 

He  who  has  had  a  sinorle  attack  of  this  disease  must 


200  DISEASES   OF  MEN   AND   WOMEN. 

be  extremely  careful,  for  he  is  constantly  liable  to  another. 
His  body  and  mind  must  be  kept  tranquil,  his  bowels 
open,  and  his  stomach  never  overloaded.  If  he  is  the 
subject  of  debility,  we  would  prescribe  for  him  a  frequent 
tonic,  of  which  the  preparation  of  iron  will  generally  be 
found  the  best. 

While  speaking  of  a  disease  generally  arising  from  ex- 
cessive indulgence  in  the  more  aged  class  of  society,  this 
will  not  be  an  improper  place  to  say  a  few  words  on  the 
sympathy  due  to  a  class  of  men  who  seldom  suffer  from 
this  disease,  but  are  on  other  accounts  entitled  to  our 
warmest  sympathy.  There  is  no  career  which  so  rapidly 
wears  away  the  powers  of  life,  because  there  is  no  other 
which  requires  so  great  an  activity,  both  of  body  and 
mind,  as  that  of  the  physician.  He  has  to  bear  the 
changes  of  weather,  continued  fatigues,  irregularity  in 
his  meals,  broken  rest,  and  to  live  frequently  in  the  midst 
of  miasma  and  contagion;  if  in  the  country,  to  travel 
considerable  distances  through  by-lanes  and  dreary  paths 
on  horseback,  and  sometimes,  perhaps,  on  foot,  exposed 
to  storms  and  wind,  to  brave  all  dangers,  to  go  to  tho 
relief  of  suffering  humanity — and  this  too  frequently 
without  any  remuneration.  A  fearful  truth  for  medical 
men  has  been  established  by  the  published  table  of  mor- 
tality of  Dr.  Caspar.  Of  one  thousand  members  of  the 
medical  profession,  six  hundred  died  before  their  sixty- 
second  year;  whilst  of  persons  leading  a  quiet  life,  such 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AXD   WOMEN.  201 

as  agriculturists  or  theologians,  the  mortality  is  only 
three  hundred  and  forty-seven  in  a  thousand.  If  we  takg 
one  hundred  individuals  of  each  of  those  classes,  forty- 
three  theologians,  forty  agriculturists,  eighty -five  clerk^ 
and  thirty-two  soldiers,  will  reach  their  seventieth  year; 
but  of  one  hundred  medical  men,  twenty-four  only  will 
reach  that  age.  They  are  the  sign-posts  on  the  road  to 
health,  but  very  rarely  tread  in  it  themselves. 


INSANITY. 

We  are  aware  that  few  persons  may  be  disposed  to  look 
into  a  volume  like  this  for  remarks  on  this  subject,  be- 
cause they  would  say  this  is  a  kind  of  suffering  which 
neither  patients  nor  their  immediate  friends  can  usually 
manage.  This  view  is  correct;  but  one  grand  object  we 
have  before  us  in  writing  our  work,  as  we  have  more  than 
once  already  said,  is  the  prevention  of  evil,  and  hence  we 
will  occupy  a  page  or  two  on  the  matter.  It  has  been 
estimated  that  one  in  every  two  hundred  and  sixty-two 
of  the  population  of  the  United  States  becomes  insane; 
a  larger  proportion  by  far  than  in  any  other  part  of  the 
world. 

Insanity,  strictly  speaking,  is  not  either  a  mental  or  a 
bodily  disease,  but  is  a  disturbed  reciprocal  relation  of 


202  DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND   WOMEN. 

mind  and  body,  manifested  in  a  variety  of  ways.  The 
disorder  of  the  intellect  may  be  very  slight,  apparently 
affecting  only  particular  faculties,  or  it  may  involve  all 
the  intellectual  powers.  It  may  manifest  itself  in  melan- 
choly, moroseness,  good  humor,  hilarity,  or  in  raving 
madness ;  or  it  may  be  confined  to  a  single  subject,  when 
it  is  called  Monomania. 

Insanity  is  frequently  the  result  of  other  diseases,  first 
breaking  down  the  energies  of  the  system,  and  rendering 
it  incapable  of  resisting  the  new  attack,  or  more  frequently 
leaving  it  in  that  weak  and  susceptible  condition,  that 
undue  effort,  either  mental  or  physical,  easily  induces 
disease  of  the  brain. 

Generally,  agricultural  communities  present  less  of  the 
affection  of  the  brain  than  the  inhabitants  of  cities  and 
dense  manufacturing  villages.  The  causes  of  this  may 
be  found  in  the  more  quiet  and  less  exciting  pursuits  of 
the  former  community,  and,  with  some  exceptions,  here- 
after to  be  named,  from  the  more  regular  and  healthy 
habits  of  life,  in  regard  especially  to  labor,  and  early  and 
sufficient  rest  at  night ;  and,  on  the  contrary,  in  the  latter, 
in  the  crowding  of  the  population  into  dense  neighbor- 
hoods, in  the  close  and  impure  air,  and  in  the  imperfect 
ventilation  of  their  dwelling,  in  less  nutritious  food,  and 
the  greater  excitement  and  anxieties  of  those  thus 
eituated. 

The  difference  between  the  appearance  of  the  children 


DISEASES   OF  MEN  AND  WOMEN  203 

in  a  close  city  street,  or  dense  and  restricted  neighbor- 
hood, and  those  in  a  village  highway,  forcibly  illustrates 
this  principle.  Whatever  invigorates  the  general  system 
is  the  best  safeguard  against  insanity.  The  child,  who, 
with  a  close  and  restricted  play-ground,  without  permis- 
sion or  opportunity  of  indulging  in  the  natural,  free  and 
boisterous  spirits  of  childhood,  with  his  pampered  appe- 
tite, his  overtasked  brain,  urged  by  foolish  ambition  to 
undue  application,  attains  a  premature  manhood  with  a 
deficient  development  of  his  mental  and  physical  energies, 
and  an  unnatural  exaltation  of  his  nervous  system,  can 
hardly  compete  in  the  race  of  life  with  him  in  whom  the 
early  development  of  his  physical  system  has  prepared 
the  way  for  the  full  expansion  of  the  mental  powers. 
The  one  is  liable  to  sink  early  under  the  influence  of 
disease;  the  other  to  long  enjoy  the  conscious  power  of 
an  energetic  mind  in  a  sound  body. 

Intemperance  is  one  of  the  most  prolific  causes  of  in- 
sanity. The  use  of  so  powerful  a  drug  as  alcohol,  in  any 
degree,  tends  to  predispose  the  system  to  disease,  though 
it  may  not  in  all  cases,  or  for  a  considerable  time,  directly 
induce  it.  Even  in  moderation,  alcohol  induces  undue 
mental  and  physical  efforts ;  the  mind  and  body  are  over- 
tasked, without  due  regard  to  caution  in  exposure,  need- 
ful rest,  and  the  other  essentials  of  continued  good  health. 
Under  this  continued  and  unnatural  stimulus,  the  brain 
and  nervous  system  become  unduly  excitable ;  plans  of 


204  DISEASES   OF  MEN  AND  WOMEN. 

business  are  laid  down  and  pursued  with  less  judgment, 
prudence,  and  success;  habits  of  intemperance,  with 
diminished  means  of  support,  follow.  With  the  increased 
privation  of  the  comforts  of  life,  there  is  less  and  less 
ability  and  willingness  to  bear  with  composure  and  cheer- 
fulness daily  trials  and  anxieties.  Home  is  made  un- 
happy; the  general  health  fails.  The  wife  and  mother 
now  share  these  evil  consequences,  and  her  burden 
becomes  more  oppressive  and  heart-sinking.  Thus,  in 
the  train  of  intemperance,  come  the  successive  results  of 
numerous  causes  classed  under  over-working  of  body 
and  mind,  general  ill-health,  domestic  unhappiness,  all 
tending  to  the  same  end, — mental  derangement.  These 
are  not  fancy  sketches ;  the  histories  are  before  us,  and 
could  be  given. 

Want  of  self-control  has  been  indirectly  the  cause  of 
more  insanity  than  any  other  single  evil.  Though  care, 
anxiety,  grief,  distress,  disappointment,  jealousy,  and 
wounded  self-love  maybe  the  immediate  cause  of  mental 
derangement,  yet  these  causes  may  have  operated  with 
equal  force  on  other  minds,  and  not  have  produced  the 
same  result.  Where  the  power  of  self-control  is  feeble, 
or  has  never  been  called  into  exercise,  the  mind  readily 
yields  to  the  slightest  exciting  cause.  Thus,  a  child  who 
has  always  been  indulged  in  the  full  gratification  of  all 
its  desires,  till  it  has  come  to  feel  that  it  must  be  gratified 
at  all  events,  has  grown  up  a  stranger  to  disappointment, 


DISEASES  OF  303N  AND  WOMEN.  205 

and  cannot  bear  it  like  one  who  has  early  and  faithfully- 
learned  the  lesson  of  submission.  Many  a  child  has  thus 
learned  to  be  governed  for  the  first  time  in  the  mad- 
house, though  it  may  seem  quite  unaccountable  to  tlie 
heart-broken  parents  that  the  first  disappointment  should 
send  their  son  or  daua-hter  to  the  house  of  the  insane. 

There  is  something  indescribably  affecting  and  hu- 
miliating in  the  decay  of  the  mind  under  accumulating 
anxieties,  whether  of  a  commercial  or  literary  character, 
which  may  induce  caution  long  before  a  man  is  old. 

The  symptoms  betokening  the  approaching  destruction 
of  nervous  power  require  to  be  early  noticed,  in  order 
that  the  victim  of  an  overwrought  brain  may  be  snatched 
from  a  most  miserable  end.  Among  the  first  of  these 
symptoms  are  vivid  dreams,  reproducing  at  night  the 
labors  of  the  past  day,  so  that  sleep  affords  no  repose. 
The  transition  from  the  activities  of  a  dreaming  brain  to 
a  wakeful  one  is  rapid ;  then  follow  restlessness  and 
exhaustion,  inducing  a  state  wholly  incompatible  with 
the  exertions  required  for  the  daily  and  pressing  neces- 
sities of  life.  The  mind,  torn  by  conflicting  feelings, 
becomes  irritable,  unstable  and  melancholy.  The  tem- 
pered delights  of  a  home  cannot  move — affection  has  no 
power  to  soothe — and  the  playful  sunshine  of  childhood 
cannot  warm  the  heart  wasting  and  withering  in  decay,  and 
the  mind  is  incapable  alike  of  enjo3''ment  or  of  labor.  At 
this  stage  morbid  fancies  and  dislikes  cloud  the  feelings, 
18 


206  DISEASES  OP  MEN  AND  WOMEN. 

or  hallucinations  disturb  tbe  brain ;  and  then  it  is  indeed 
a  happy  consummation  to  mental  decay  and  reposelesa 
anguish,  when  the  reduced  and  wasted  frame,  too  feeble 
to  withstand  the  ordinary  vicissitudes  of  the  elements, 
succumbs  to  the  inroads  of  some  acute  disease. 

If  what  we  have  said  will  not  produce  the  necessary 
cure  in  the  cases  to  which  we  have  referred,  let  our 
readers  remember  that  neglect  has,  in  multitudes  of 
instances,  led  to  the  awful  calamity  of  suicide  I 


HYPOCHONDRIA. 

However  this  disease  may  sometimes  excite  the  laugh 
of  the  thoughtless,  as  existing  only  in  the  imagination,  it 
is  both  real  in  its  character  and  productive  of  much 
suffering.  Those  who  do  not  know  what  it  is  to  suffer 
in  this  way  may  laugh  at  "vapors,"  or  ^'■low  spirits"  but 
the  serious  question  with  the  afflicted  is,  how  to  get  rid 
of  them. 

The  disease  of  which  we  now  speak  is  of  a  nervous 
character,  and  relates,  perhaps,  as  much  to  the  mind  as 
to  the  body.  It  is  found  chiefly  among  men  advanced  in 
life,  who  have  been  for  a  series  of  yeaxs  the  subjects  of 
great  anxiety  or  grief.  The  most  prominent  symptom 
of  it  is  a  full  persuasion  of  the  existence  of  troubles  which 


DISEASES  OF  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  207 

really  are  found  only  in  their  imagination.  We  knew 
two  generations  of  a  very  wealthy  family,  who  could 
never  be  induced  to  believe  that  they  were  not  exceed- 
ingly poor,  and  who  lived  many  years  in  the  daily  ex- 
pectation of  being  carried  to  the  alms-house  to  die.  In 
this  case  the  disease  seemed  infectious,  as  the  second  gener- 
ation, when  young,  laughed  at  their  older  relations,  till 
by  constant  and  long-continued  residence  with  them  they 
imbibed  the  disease,  becoming  even  worse  than  their 
relatives.  From  their  sufferings  they  gave  themselves  no 
chance  to  recover,  and  died  under  the  delusion. 

The  real  origin  of  the  disease  appears  to  be  a  loss  of 
energy  in  the  brain,  inducing  indolence,  indigestion, 
hysterical  affections,  and  violent  passions  of  the  mind. 
It  is  often  accompanied  with  costiveness,  or  its  opposite 
— diarrhoea,  and  an  incessant  desire  to  see  new  physi- 
cians, or  to  try  new  medicines.  Raillery  and  laughter 
will  not  cure  this  disease ;  you  must  appear  to  believe 
all  the  patient  says,  and  act  pretty  much  in  accordance 
with  his  views.  Attract  him  by  persuasion  and  example 
to  gentle  exercise,  administer  about  once  a  week  a  gentle 
emetic,  such  as  we  have  already  described  as  the  lobelia ; 
frequently  let  the  tepid  bath  be  used  ;  and  let  him  take  a 
preparation  of  ten  or  fifteen  drops  of  spirits  of  camphor, 
five  or  ten  drops  of  spirits  of  hartshorn,  and  a  tea-spoon- 
ful of  spirits  of  lavender  well  mixed  together,  and  put 
them  into  half  a  tumbler  of  fennel-seed  tea.     This  will 


208  DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN. 

remove  flatulence  and  nervous  irritation  and  exhilarate 
the  spirits.  It  may  be  repeated  with  the  recurrence  of 
the  symptoms.  Magnesia  and  lime-water  have  been 
strongly  recommended  in  this  disease;  as  also  the  pre- 
paration of  iron  sold  by  the  druggists  as  a  tonic.  Above 
all,  let  the  patient  have  gentle  exercise  in  the  open  air, 
cheerful  company,  light  digestible  food  at  regular  hours, 
accompanied  with  mustard,  cayenne  pepper,  and  what- 
ever gently  stimulates,  according  to  his  own  taste. 

Some  most  extraordinary  facts  have  been  connected 
with  this  disease,  and  wonderful  cures  have  been  effected, 
generally  by  seeming  to  believe  the  most  amazing  state- 
ments of  the  patient.  Some  have  asserted  themselves 
to  be  dead,  and  have  been  recovered  only  after  consider- 
able preparations  for  their  dissection  or  burial;  and 
others  have  long  been  the  subjects  of  unconsciousness. 
We  have  before  us  the  statement  of  a  modern  traveler, 
who  says: 

"I  saw,  at  Frankfort,  a  very  intelligent  and  respectable 
young  lady,  who,  after  much  opposition  on  the  part  of 
her  family,  married  the  man  whom  she  passionately 
loved.  An  accident  occurred  at  th  ^  birth  of  her  first 
child,  which  was  followed  by  a  long  weakness;  on  re- 
covering from  which  she  had  altogether  lost  her 
recollection  of  the  time  which  had  passed  since  her 
marriage,  inclusively.  She  remembered  distinctly  every 
thing  down  to  that  date,  but  nothing  beyond  it.     At 


DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND   WOMEN.  209 

first  she  repelled  with  alarm  both  her  husband  and  her 
child,  an  I  she  has  never  since  been  able  to  recover  her 
recollection  of  that  period,  and  of  the  events  which  ac- 
companied it.  Her  parents  and  friends  have  succeeded, 
by  reasoning  and  by  the  authority  of  their  testimony, 
in  persuading  her  that  she  was  married  and  had  a  son ; 
she  believes  them,  because  she  is  more  willing  to  sup- 
pose that  she  has  lost  the  recollection  of  a  whole  year, 
than  that  they  are  all  impostors.  She  sees  her  husband 
and  her  child,  without  being  able  to  imagine  by  what 
magic  she  has  acquired  the  one  and  given  birth  to  the 
other."  By  the  course  we  have  recommended,  we  have 
no  doubt  that  this  lady  may  be  again  restored  to  her  full 
health  and  perfect  recollection. 


HYSTERICAL  AFFECTIONS. 

Many  writers  have  told  us  that  this  disease  is  confined  to 
females,  and  some  have  classed  it  only  with  the  diseases  of 
young  girls;  but  extensive  observation  has  shown  us  that 
it  prevails  also  among  men  ;  even  old  men  have  become  its 
subjects.  Similar  differences  of  opinion  have  existed  as 
to  "whether  it  has  its  origin  in  the  brain,  the  nerves,  or 
the  stomach.  Perhaps  it  would  be  right  to  concede  that, 
in  different  persons,  all  these  writers  are  correct. 
18*  N 


210  DISEASES  OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN. 

The  usual  symptoms  of  hysterical  affections,  or  to  usa 
its  scientific  name  Hysteria^  are  universal  languor  and 
coldness  of  the  extremities,  the  face  alternately  flushed  and 
pale,  the  pulse  slow  and  scarcely  perceptible ;  vomiting, 
difficulty  of  breathing,  and  palpitations  of  the  heart  are 
not  unfrequent ;  pain  on  the  left  side  of  the  abdomen,  like 
an  ascending  ball  rising  to  the  throat,  producing  a  sense 
of  suflfocation,  with  fainting  and  convulsive  motions,  often 
follow;  the  conduct  of  the  patient  is  changeable,  alternate 
fits  of  laughing  and  crying  occur,  and  not  unfrequently 
loud  singing;  very  often  there  is  a  sensation  of  pain  in 
the  head,  resembling  a  nail  being  driven  into  it,  and 
sometimes  pains  also  attack  the  back,  loins,  and  bladder ; 
and  the  patient  voids  an  unusual  quantity  of  urine. 

When  a  fit  comes  on,  lay  the  patient  on  a  sofa  or  bed 
in  a  warm  room,  open  a  door  or  window,  apply  lavender 
or  camphor  to  the  temples,  and  hold  spirits  of  hartshorn 
to  the  nose ;  when  the  patient  can  swallow,  give  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  lavender  and  hartshorn  in  a  spoonful  or  two 
of  water.  A  little  cold  water  dashed  on  the  face,  and  the 
admission  of  cool  air  into  the  room,  are  also  of  import- 
ance ;  as  likewise  is  putting  the  feet  and  legs  into  a  warm 
bath.  If  the  patient  be  strong  and  plethoric,  a  few 
ounces  of  blood  may  betaken  from  the  arm.  The  young 
lady  afflicted  by  this  disease  must  pay  special  attention 
to  her  courses. 

The  most  important  matter  in  this  case,  is  the  proper 


DISEASES  OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN.  211 

treatment  of  the  patient  during  the  intermission  of  the 
fits.  A  rigid  attention  to  diet  is  indispensable;  this 
should  be  chiefly  of  milk  and  vegetables ;  but  should 
vegetables  cause  flatulency  and  acidity  in  the  stomach 
and  bowels,  small  quantities  of  fresh  animal  food  should 
be  taken.  Avoid  tea  and  cojBfee,  or  at  most  take  them 
in  very  small  quantities ;  a  little  good  wine  and  water, 
or  a  smaller  quantity  of  pure  old  spirits  and  water,  may 
follow  the  patient's  dinner.  Moderate  exercise,  especi- 
ally riding  on  horseback,  is  of  great  service  in  this 
disease. 

In  many  cases,  where  the  stomach  continues  foul,  it  will 
be  found  essential  to  give  a  small  quantity  of  the  lobelia 
emetic  once  a  week.  It  should  be  given,  however,  only 
in  quantities  sufficient  to  produce  gentle  vomiting,  and 
so  to  contribute  toward  a  perfect  cure  by  imparting 
energy  and  tone  to  the  stomach  and  nerves. 


PARALYSIS   OR  PALSY. 

This  disease  also  is,  to  a  very  great  extent,  one  of  the 
nervous  system.  It  consists  in  a  loss  of  the  power  of 
voluntary  motion  in  one  or  more  parts  of  the  body,  and  is 
very  frequently  suddenly  fatal,  especially  when  it  affects 
the  heart,   lungs,  or  any   other  vital   part.     When   it 


212  DISEASES  OP   IIEN   AND  WOMEN. 

affects  one  entire  side  of  the  body,  from  the  head  down- 
ward, physicians  call  it  hemiplegia.  If  the  power  of 
motion  and  sense  of  feeling  in  the  half  of  the  body,  taken 
transversely,  be  impaired,  it  is  cdMedt.  paraplegia.  When 
it  affects  the  stomach,  the  intestines,  or  the  bladder,  it  is 
very  dangerous ;  and  when  the  parts  affected  feel  cold 
and  insensible,  and  waste  away,  or  when  the  judgment 
and  memory  begin  to  fail,  there  is  small  hope  of  re- 
covery. 

Palsy  is  sometimes  the  result  of  apoplexy,  and  is 
always  occasioned  by  what  prevents  the  flow  of  the 
nervous  power  from  the  brain  into  the  organs  of  motion; 
hence  tumors,  over-distension,  effusion,  wounds  of  the 
brain  or  spinal  marrow,  and  excessive  use  of  tea  or 
coffee,  will  often  lead  to  it.  It  often  proceeds  also  from 
the  poisonous  fumes  of  metals  and  minerals,  as  mercury, 
lead,  arsenic,  etc.  Its  attack  is  sometimes  unexpected, 
but  more  frequently  it  is  preceded  by  days  or  even 
weeks  of  giddiness,  drowsiness,  numbness,  dimness  of 
sight,  failure  of  the  powers  of  the  mind,  forgetfulness, 
transient  delirium,  and  indistinctness  of  articulation. 

If  the  attack  bf  sudden,  and  the  patient  be  young  and 
of  a  full  habit,  at  once  bleed  and  that  freely,  as  in  apo- 
plexy ;  and  apply  also  a  large  blister  to  the  back  of  the 
neck.     Purge  freely  for  several  days. 

But  if  the  patient  be  old,  or  in  a  state  of  debility,  a 
verv  different   course   of  treatment  must  be   pursued. 


DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN. 


213 


Stimulants  must  be  freely  used.  Place  the  patient  in  a 
warm  bath,  a  table-spoonful  of  scraped  horse-radish,  or 
the  same  quantity  of  mustard-seed  sbould  be  swallowed 
four  or  five  times  a  day.  Frequently  rub  the  whole  body 
with  a  flesh- brush  or  rough  cloths,  or  with  flannels  im- 
pregnated with  the  tincture  of  cayenne-pepper,  oil  of 
turpentine,  oil  of  sassafras,  or  the  tincture  of  cantha- 
rides.  Daily  electricity 
for  several  weeks  on  the 
parts  affected,  has  often 
been  found  useful.  If 
the  patient  suffer  from 
giddiness,  a  seton  in  the 
neck  may  be  of  great  ad- 
vantage. A  local  palsy 
will  often  yield  to  a  blis- 
ter applied  as  nearly  as 
possible  to  the  part  affect- 
ed. Spirits  of  turpentine, 
about  twenty  drops  taken 
in  a  little  water  three 
times  a  day,  has  often  been  very  successful ;  this  may  be 
connected  with  the  external  use  of  it  once  or  twice  a 
day  by  briskly  rubbing  the  parts  affected. 

If  the  patient  suffer  from  wakefulness,  pain,  and  in- 
quietude, a  little  opium  may  be  given,  but  we  decidedly 
prefer   the  saturated  tincture  of  hops.      If  he  needs  a 


GOLDEN  SEJlU. 


214  DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN. 

laxative  medicine,  let  him  take  a  tea-spoonful  of  the 
tincture  of  golden  seal,  two  or  three  times  a  day,  till  the 
bowels  are  acted  on.  This  admirable  medicine  will  also 
act  as  a  tonic,  as  it  is  an  ingredient  in  wine  bitters,  and 
in  tonic  tinctures. 

"When  the  habits  of  the  patient  are  plethoric,  his  food 
should  be  of  the  lightest  kind,  and  he  should  be  very 
abstemious;  but  when  he  suffers  from  debility,  his  diet 
should  be  warm,  nutritious,  and  stimulating,  well 
Beasoned  with  spices.  His  drink  should  be  good  generoua 
wine,  or  brandy  and  water.  He  should  take  regular 
gentle  exercise,  avoid  damp  air,  wear  flannel  next  the 
Bkin,  and  live,  if  possible,  in  a  warm  climate. 


EPILEPSY. 

Epilepsy,  or,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  the  falling  sick- 
ness,  is  very  different  from  apoplexy,  being  attended 
with  sudden  and  violent  convulsions,  and  frothy  spittle 
issuing  from  the  mouth.  It  is  a  sudden  privation  of 
the  senses,  accompanied  with  unusual  and  involuntary 
motions  and  contortions  affecting  the  whole  system.  It 
occurs  in  paroxysms,  which,  after  a  time,  leave  the  patient 
in  nearly  his  former  state,  but  they  are  generally  succeeded 
by  languor,  debility,  and  drowsiness.  It  is  often  hereditary 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN.  215 

in  families,  and  is  periodical  in  its  recurrence;  happening 
more  frequently  in  the  night  than  in  the  day-time. 
Children  who  have  been  very  delicately  brought  up  are 
most  subject  to  it,  and  men  more  frequently  than  women. 
Its  cure  after  about  the  age  of  forty  has  always  been 
considered  so  difficult,  that  not  a  few  religious  writers 
have  thought  that  several  of  the  miracles  related  in  the 
New  Testament,  relate  to  recovery  from  this  disease. 

Epilepsy  may  reckon  among  its  immediate  causes 
violent  blows  on  the  head,  water  in  the  brain,  tumors  or 
concretions  in  the  skull,  and  affections  of  the  spinal 
marrow.  It  is  also  brought  on  by  violent  affections  of 
the  nervous  system,  sudden  frights,  violent  exertions  of 
the  mind,  worms  in  the  stomach,  and  the  suppression  of 
some  long-accustomed  evacuation.  Poisons,  too,  are  also 
frequent  causes  of  it. 

An  epileptic  fit  is  generally  preceded  by  unusual 
weariness,  pain  of  the  head,  dullness,  noise  in  the  ears, 
dimness  of  the  sight,  palpitation  of  the  heart,  and  dis- 
turbed sleep  ;  the  extremities  are  cold  and  the  patient 
frequently  feels  as  if  a  stream  of  cold  air  was  ascending 
toward  his  head.  In  the  fit,  the  poor  sufferer  makes  an 
unusual  noise,  his  thumbs  are  drawn  in  toward  the 
palms  of  his  hands,  his  eyes  are  distorted,  he  starts  and 
foams  at  the  mouth,  his  extremities  are  bent  or  twisted 
various  ways,  his  discharges  are  sometimes  involuntary, 
and  for  the  time  being  he  is  destitute  of  sense  and  reason. 


216  DISEASES  OF   ilEN   AND  WOMEN. 

In  the  treatment  of  this  disease  it  cannot  be  deniv.J 
that  nitrate  of  silver,  flowers  of  zinc,  and  other  very 
powerful  medicines,  have  been  employed  to  advantage, 
but  the  wisest  persons  are  most  fully  aware  that  such 
remedies  can  only  be  used  with  propriety  by  the  most 
skillful  and  judicious  physicians;  all  others  should  let 
them  alone,  remembering  that  as  the  disease  originates 
in  many  different  causes,  so  it  demands  to  be  treated 
in  many  different  ways.  It  is  always  safe  to  give  the 
lohelia  emetic,  to  bathe  the  feet  and  legs  in  warm  water, 
to  apply  mustard  plasters  to  the  nape  of  the  neck,  to 
keep  the  bowels  open,  to  remove  all  tight  bandages,  and 
to  give  the  patient  plenty  of  fresh  air. 

A  preparation  may  also  be  made  of  one  ounce  of  each 
of  garden  peony,  Peruvian  bark,  and  wild  valerian  or 
Indies'  slipper,  and  half  an  ounce  of  Virginia  snake-root, 
simmer  them  together  in  two  quarts  of  water  till  reduced 
to  a  quart ;  than  add  a  pound  of  loaf-sugar,  and  half  a 
pint  of  maderia  wine.  Give  the  patient  from  half  to  a 
wineglass  full  three  times  a  day.  On  the  approach  of  a 
fit,  administer  a  tea-spoonful  of  fine  salt  two  or  three 
times  a  day ;  it  Avill  be  found  to  shorten  the  patient's 
sufferings. 

A  rigid  course  of  diet  is  of  vast  importance  in  this 
disease;  all  food  of  the  patient  should  be  light  and  nu- 
tritious ;  every  fat  and  greasy  substance  should  be  avoided, 
as  should  all  ardent  spirits.  Gentle  exercise  should  be 
taken  but  great  care  should  be  used  not  to  excite  the 


DISEASES  OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN.  217 

passions,  nor  to  be  found  in  the  extremes  of  heat  or 
cold.  In  proportion  to  the  difficulty  of  the  cure,  should 
be  the  care  and  caution  in  the  treatment  of  the  patient. 


EUPTURE,  OR  HERNIA. 

This  dangerous  disease  is  most  frequently  to  be  found 
among  children  and  aged  people.  Among  young  children 
it  is  generally  occasioned  by  excessive  crying,  coughing, 
or  vomiting;  and  in  the  aged  it  usually  follows  violent 
blows,  excessive  straining,  or  carrying  very  heavy 
weights.  Indolence,  relaxed  habits,  and  oily  or  moist 
diet,  tends  to  the  production  or  continuance  of  it. 

The  disease  itself  consists  in  the  protruding  of  a  bowel 
from  its  proper  place.  Among  physicians  it  obtains 
various  names,  according  to  the  peculiar  position  of  the 
bowel  affected.  It  is  not,  strictly  speaking,  the  rupture 
of  the  part,  but  a  relaxation,  leading  to  a  tumor.  Where 
the  relaxed  part  may  be  restored  to  its  proper  place, 
the  disease  is  said  to  be  reducible;  and  where  such  an  ob- 
ject can  not  be  accomplished,  or  not  without  great  diffi- 
culty, it  is  said  to  be  irreducible  or  strangulated. 

Every  one  must  see  the  folly  of  leaving  a  disease  like 

this  to  the  inexperienced,  and  will  secure,  as  early  as 

possible,  the  best  surgical  skill.     In  the  mean  time  the 

luuid  may  be  used  in  the  attempt  to  replace  the  relaxed 

19 


218  DISEASES   OF  MEN  AND  WOMEN. 

or  fallen  bowel,  and  a  bandage  should  be  applied  to  make 
it  retain  its  position.  If  the  patient  be  in  great  pain, 
he  needs  attention  before  his  medical  attendant  can 
arrive.  Let  him  then  he  laid  on  his  back,  with  his  head 
very  low,  his  body  high,  and  his  knees  drawn  upward  ; 
let  him  endeavor  to  replace  the  protruded  part  by  press- 
ure; and  if  his  attempt  does  not  succeed,  let  him  lay  on 
the  part  a  thick  fold  of  linen,  dipped  in  cold  water,  and 
renew  the  trial ;  if  this  fails,  his  very  life  depends  on  the 
best  surgical  skill.  The  bowels  must  be  operated  on  as 
soon  as  possible. 

When  rupture  occurs  in  early  childhood,  with  careful 
treatment  it  may  be  easily  cured.  When  the  bowel 
comes  down,  lay  the  child  on  its  back,  relax  the  part 
with  warm  water,  and  with  the  finger  gently  press  the 
protrusion  into  its  place.  Make  a  strong  decoction  of 
white  oak  bark,  and  an  equal  quantity  of  hemlock  bark ; 
boil  it  down  to  a  gill,  and  add  to  it  half  a  gill  of  the  best 
brandy ;  bathe  the  affected  part  frequently  with  it,  and 
place  a  bandage  round  the  body,  with  an  extra  thickness 
next  to  the  rupture  itself. 

In  the  case  of  a  child  being  troubled  with  the  falling  of 
the  bowels  at  the  time  of  evacuation,  this  same  plan 
should  be  pursued. 


PALPITATION  OF  THE  HEAET. 


UCH  unnecessary  alarm, 
especially  where  the  ner- 
vous system  has  been  de 
pressed  by  other  causes, 
is  often  produced,  from 
its  very  nature,  by  this  disease,  so  that  it  is  important 
the  patient  should  not  yield  to  depression  of  spirits, 
which  in  no  case  can  do  good.  The  patient  thus  afflicted 
feels  that  the  motion  of  the  heart  has  increased  in  ra- 
pidity, having  more  force  than  usual,  often  to  such  a  de- 
gree as  to  be  seen,  and  even  heard.  It  is  often  attended 
by  a  difficulty  of  breathing,  and  a  purple  hue  of  the 
cheeks  and  lips,  accompanied  with  various  anxious  feel 
ings.  When  the  disease  is  primary^  that  is,  arising  from 
the  enlargement  of  the  heart,  ossification,  or  alteration  of 
structure,  the  result  may  be  fatal  and  sudden ;  though 
cases  have  occurred  where  a  great  enlargement  of  the 
heart  has  continued  for  twenty  years ;  but  in  other  cases 
it  is  only  symptomatic,  that  is  connected,  with  neighboring 
organs,  such  as  the  stomach  in  dyspepsia.  We  knew  a 
gentleman  who  had  this  kind  of  heart  disease,  who  for 
forty  years  assured  his  friends  tbat  he  could  not  live 

(219) 


220  DISEASES    OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN. 

more  than  two  Aveeks,  and  yet  did  not  die  till  far  ad- 
vanced toward  eighty. 

Of  course,  in  a  case  like  this,  the  body  and  mind  should 
be  kept  easy  and  cheerful  as  possible.  If  the  disease  be 
primary,  a  rigid  course  of  diet  should  be  pursued ;  every 
thing  producing  corpulence  should  be  avoided ;  the 
stomach  should  never  be  overloaded ;  and  vegetable  food 
should  be  preferred  to  animal.  Bleeding,  emetics,  and 
purgatives,  in  the  opinion  of  many  physicians,  are  naver 
out  of  season  in  such  cases. 

Supposing  the  patient  to  be  seized  with  an  attack  of 
heart  disease,  we  would  recommend  that  first  of  all  he 
should  take  a  dose  of  the  lobelia  emetic,  giving,  a  little 
before  or  after  it,  half  a  tea-spoonfnl  of  capsicum  in  sweet- 
ened water.  The  powder  of  Indian  hemp-root  may  be 
taken,  a  small  tea-spoonful  two  or  three  times  a  day.  K 
the  disease  arise  from  plethora,  take,  as  soon  as  may  be,  a 
few  ounces  of  blood  from  the  arm,  and  lose  no  time  in 
acting  on  the  bowels.  When  the  nervous  system  is 
affected,  give  small  quantities  of  wine  or  spirits ;  or  if 
they  are  not  at  hand,  a  few  drops  of  ether  or  laudanum. 
The  feet  should  be  constantly  dry  and  warm ;  and  if  need 
be,  occasionally  rubbed  with  mustard,  or  the  tincture  of 
cayenne  pepper. 


^*% 


NIGHTMARE 

ONSISTS  in  a  frightful  feeling 
,,,^_  of  weight  upon  the  breast  after 
ft^ r^,  going  to  sleep,  with  an  alarm- 
ing  dread  of  suffocation.  It  is 
,  :  generally  caused  by  hot,  late, 
^^  heavy  suppers,  especially  after 
great  fatigue;  at  other  times  by  drunkenness ;  or  in  some 
cases  simply  by  the  patient  lying  on  his  back. 

If  the  patient  be  of  a  full  habit,  let  him  be  freely  bled 
and  purged,  and  set  himself  for  a  few  days  to  live  on  dry 
bread  and  a  little  water  gruel,  and  take  simple  rice 
water  for  his  drink.  If  the  disease  arise,  as  it  sometimes 
does,  from  great  debility,  especially  of  the  nervous  sys- 
tem, the  patient  may  take  the  usual  tonic  medicines,  as 
preparations  of  steel,  bark,  gentian  root,  or  columbo 
root.  The  old  physicians  usually  recommended  a  glass 
of  brandy  before  going  to  bed  as  an  infallible  remedy ; 
but  the  poison  which  now  goes  under  that  name  is  far 
more  likely  to  bring  on  the  fit.  "We  are  quite  sure  the 
patient  will  act  far  more  wisely  if  he  takes  a  fair  share 
of  exercise  during  the  day,  eats  light  suppers,  and  sleeps 
on  a  hard  bed. 

19*  (221) 


HEARTBURN. 


TRICTLY    speaking,    this    disease    has 

nothing  to  do  with  the  heart.     It  is  an 

uneasy,    burning     sensation 

'§0C^    about  the  pit  of  the  stomach, 

r       often  attended  with  a  degree 


of  anxiety,nausea,  and  vomit- 
ing. It  generally  arises  from  a  relaxed  state  of  the 
stomach,  inducing  acidity  and  acrimony.  Yery  few 
women  entirely  escape  it  during  the  months  of  preg- 
nancy. 

Its  treatment  is  not  difficult.  A  small  tea-spoonful  of 
magnesia,  of  salt  of  tartar,  of  bicarbonate  of  soda,  or 
even  of  powdered  chalk,  taken  in  a  glass  of  cold  water, 
or  of  mint  tea,  will  often  remove  it  in  half  an  hour.  A 
little  rhubarb  added  to  the  quantity  of  magnesia  we 
have  prescribed  will  prove  an  admirable  purgative  in 
pregnancy,  and  usually  remove  all  causes  of  complaint. 
Powdered  black  pepper,  say  a  small  tea-spoonful  in  a 
small  glassful  of  wine  or  spirit,  has  also  proved  entirely 
successful  in  effecting  a  cure. 

This  disease,  however,  like  all  others,  will  sometimes 
prove  obstinate,  and  it  then  demands  a  more  decisive 
(222^ 


DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN.  223 

treatment.  An  emetic  may  be  found  necessary ;  this 
should  be  followed  by  tonics,  such  as  a  little  brandy  and 
water,  or  a  tea-spoonful  of  the  sweet  spirits  of  nitre.  If 
the  feet  are  cold,  put  them  in  a  tepid  bath,  and  rub  them 
well  with  the  flower  of  mustard,  or  tincture  of  cayenne 
pepper.  The  application  of  a  small  blister  to  the  pit  of 
the  stomach  is  often  of  very  great  service ;  this  should  be 
kept  running  for  at  least  a  week. 

Those  who  are  liable  to  this  disease,  should  be  careful 
as  to  their  diet.  Their  food  should  be  chiefly  animal ; 
every  thing  greasy  should  be  avoided ;  the  drink  should 
be  a  small  quantity  of  brandy  or  gin  in  water ;  and  fre- 
quent gentle  exercise  in  the  open  air  should  not  be  neg- 
lected. Those  who  are  subject  to  this  class  of  diseases 
should  never  forget  that  roasted  meats  are  more  nutri- 
tious than  boiled.  Frying  is  the  most  objectionable  of  all 
modes  of  cooking  meat,  as  broiling  is  generally  the  best. 
In  ninety-nine  cases  out  of  a  hundred,  food  from  the 
frying-pan  disagrees  with  the  stomach.  One  should  eat 
sparingly,  if  at  all,  of  cabbage,  and  never  taste  it  unless  it 
is  thoroughly  boiled.  Cucumbers  should  never  be  eat; 
they  are  poison  to  a  dyspeptic  stomach. 


JAUNDICE. 

Jaundice  arises  from  the  obstruction  of  the  ordinary 
passages  through  which  the  bile  circulates,  causing  a 


224-  DISEASES   OF   MEN   AISTD   WOMEN". 

yellowness  of  the  skin,  and  especially  of  the  whites  of  the 
eyes  and  the  nails  of  the  fingers.  It  usually  commences 
by  listlessness  and  want  of  appetite,  a  dry,  itching,  or 
pricking  skin,  a  strong  tendency  to  sleep,  or  its  opposite, 
and  sometimes  hemorrhage  from  different  parts  of  the 
body.  The  urine  is  of  a  saffron  color,  and  the  patient 
often  suffers  greatly  from  costiveness. 

If,  as  is  usually  the  case,  the  stomach  is  disordered, 
administer  one  of  the  emetics  we  have  already  pre- 
scribed; and  after  it  has  operated  freely,  follow  it  with  a 
gentle  purge,  unless  indeed,  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  the 
emetic  acts  powerfully  on  the  bowels  as  well  as  on  the 
stomach.  If  there  be  coldness  about  the  feet  or  body, 
let  the  patient,  as  soon  as  possible,  be  put  into  a  hot  bath, 
or  bathe  his  whole  body  with  hot  vinegar  and  water. 
After  these  measures,  if  the  patient  is  not  greatly  better, 
he  should  take  a  preparation,  composed  of  one  drachm 
each  of  golden  seal  and  capsicum,  with  two  drachms 
eacli  of  white  poplar  bark,  and  bitter  root ;  cover  them 
with  boiling  water;  when  cool,  add  half  a  pint  of  Hol- 
lands gin,  and  let  from  half  a  glass  to  a  wine-glassful  be 
given  morning,  noon,  and  night.  At  the  same  time  a 
decoction  may  be  made  of  the  root  of  dandelion  and 
of  barberry  root ;  this  may  be  drank  freely.  From  ten 
to  forty  drops  three  times  a  day  of  the  tincture  of  blood- 
root,  either  in  water  or  in  herb  tea,  has  been  taken  in 
this  disease  with  advantage. 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND   WOMEN.  225 

In  cases  where  the  patient  suffers  from  debility,  tlie 
diet  should  be  of  a  nourishing  kind;  but  where  there  is 
fullness  of  habit  and  fever,  the  food  should  be  very  light. 
Vegetables  which  the  patient  has  found  to  create  flatu- 
lency should  be  avoided ;  but  in  all  cases  a  raw  egg  may 
be  taken  every  morning  with  advantage.  Soot  tea  has 
been  strongly  recommended  in  this  disease,  but  we  sus- 
pect is  not  very  generally  taken.  If,  however,  there  be 
roughness  in  the  mouth  and  throat,  we  strongly  recom- 
mend a  preparation  of  equal  parts  of  blood-root  and 
slippery  elm,  simmered  by  the  fire  in  water,  till  the  vir- 
tue is  pretty  well  extracted ;  then  add  molasses,  salt,  and 
vinegar,  and  take  a  tea-spoonful  occasionally. 


VOMITING. 

Vomiting  is  not  always  symptomatic  of  disease.  Some 
times  the  stomach  for  the  time  being  becomes  irritable, 
and  ejects  every  thing  committed  to  it.  When  it  pro- 
ceeds from  a  foul  stomach,  or  indigestion,  vomiting 
ought  to  be  promoted  by  drinking  lukewarm  water,  or 
thin  gruel.  If  this  does  not  after  a  short  time  stop  it,  a 
dose  of  ipecacuanha  may  be  taken,  and  worked  off  with 
weak  camomile  tea.  If  it  be  the  effect  of  pregnane}',  it 
may  be  mitigated  by  gentle  bleeding,  and  keeping  the 

O 


226  DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN. 

body  open  by  figs,  stewed  prunes,  or  senna.  To  prevent 
it,  a  cup  of  coffee  or  tea  should  be  taken  in  a  morning 
before  the  patient  gets  out  of  bed  ;  and  she  should  never 
allow  her  stomach  to  be  quite  empty.  Cold  water  should 
be  frequently  drank,  and  if  the  stomach  is  weak,  a  little 
brandy  should  be  taken  with  it.  If  the  spirits  are  low, 
and  there  exists  a  tendency  toward  fainting,  a  spoonf'il 
of  cinnamon  water,  with  a  little  marmalade  of  quinces  or 
oranges  may  be  taken.  The  common  soda  powders  are 
often  sufficient  to  put  a  stop  to  vomiting. 

If  the  complaint  should  pro\e  obstinate,  apply  a 
mustard  plaster  over  the  region  of  the  stomach ;  or  an- 
other preparation  has  been  found  very  successful  in 
allaying  the  irritability,  made  of  equal  parts  of  cloves, 
nutmegs,  allspice,  and  ginger ;  pulverize  them  well,  and 
add  sufficient  Indian  meal  and  vinegar  to  form  a  plaster, 
and  apply  it  to  the  pit  of  the  stomach.  And  if  even  this 
fail,  an  opium  pill  almost  always  succeeds;  but  better 
than  this  is  a  simple  tea  made  of  the  leaves  of  the  peach 
tree. 

The  patient,  in  a  case  like  this,  should  be  kept  very 
quiet,  and  his  diet  must  be  such  as  will  keep  on  the 
stomach,  and  be  easily  digestel. 


HEMOEEHAGE 


HIS  is  the  discharge  of  blood  from  the 
vessels  which  should  retain  it.  This 
remark  applies  alike  to  the  lungs,  the 
stomach,  and  the  nose.  We  need  not 
say  that  in  these  cases,  especially  the 
first  two,  the  disease,  whatever  its  origin, 
should  not  be  neglected.  The  most 
eminent  skill  should  be  engaged.  The  disease  is  gene- 
rally caused  by  muscular  debility,  and  Nature  therefore 
needs  all  the  assistance  which  Art  can  give  it.  If  the 
physician  cannot  be  at  once  consulted,  let  the  feet  of  the 
patient  be  placed  in  warm  water,  and  gentle  purgatives 
administered.  A  table-spoonful  of  common  salt,  or  a 
tea-spoonful  or  two  of  pulverized  alum,  should  be  dis- 
solved in  water  and  drank  immediately.  If  there  have 
been  previous  indications  of  consumption,  or  if  the  pa- 
tient be  of  a  weakly  habit,  and  is  troubled  with  cough, 
there  must  be  no  delay;  in  other  cases,  the  danger  is  far 
less;  but  when  the  discharge  proceeds  either  from  the 
stomach  or  lungs,  thoughtlessness,  or  something  worse, 
will  alone  tempt  to  delay. 

If  the  bleeding  proceeds  only  from  the  nose,  let  the 

(227) 


228  DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND   WOMEN". 

head  be  kept  upright,  or  rather  falling  back ;  expose  it 
to  the  open  air,  apply  cold  water  to  it,  and  put  into  the 
nose  a  little  lint  dipped  in  a  solution  made  of  one 
drachm  of  white  vitriol  dissolved  in  a  pint  and  a  half  of 
cold  water.  The  bleeding  has  often  been  stopped  by  the 
patient  simply  raising  the  arm  over  his  head  on  the 
same  side  from  which  the  blood  in  the  nostril  flows.  A 
dose  of  epsom  salts  will  tend  to  cool  the  system. 

In  all  these  cases  only  very  gentle  exercise  should  be 
taken.  The  diet  should  be  light,  such  as  baked  apples 
and  milk. 


THE  PILES. 

Piles  are  small  swellings  or  tumors  of  rather  a  dark 
zoloT,  usually  on  the  edge  of  the  fundament.  They  are 
of  two  kinds;  where  these  tumors  discharge  blood  during 
evacuation  they  are  called  bleeding  piles ;  but  when  there 
is  only  a  swelling  on  the  edge  of  the  fundament,  or  a 
little  distance  up  the  internal  part,  and  no  bleeding,  the 
disease  is  called  the  blind  piles.  Both  men  and  women 
are  subject  to  this  great  inconvenience,  but  it  is  most 
common  to  women  in  a  state  of  pregnancy. 

This  disease  often  seems  to  be  hereditary ;  where  it  so, 
there  should  be  the  greater  care  to  guard  against  its 


DISEASES   OP   MEN  AND  WOMEISr. 


229 


tendencies.  It  is  usually  brought  on  by  too  much  sit- 
ting, corpulence,  a  diseased  liver,  or  drastic  purgatives. 
The  first  object  to  be  sought  by  the  afflicted  patient  is 
by  gentle  methods  to  remove  costiveness  or  constipation. 
The  disease  may  be  easily  cured  in  its  first  stages, 
and  that  by  very  simple 
means ;  but  neglected,few 
are  more  diflBcult  to  re- 
move. The  patient,  feel- 
ing this  to  be  true,  will 
take  special  care  in  the 
matter.  If  he  has  reason 
to  believe  the  disease 
originates  in  the  morbid 
state  of  the  liver,  let  him 
rouse  it  to  action  by 
taking  the  lobelia  emetic. 
If  small  tumors  appear 
on  the  arms,  anoint  the 
part  five  or  six  times  a  day  with  an  ointment  made  of 
three  parts  of  hog's  lard,  one  part  of  powdered  nutgalls, 
and  the  same  quantity  of  camphor  simmered  together. 

When  a  falling  of  the  bowels  takes  place,  take  equal 

parts  of  white  oak  bark,  witch-hazel  bark,  and  upland 

sumach,  make  them  into  a  strong  decoction,  adding  to 

every  pint  a  tea-spoonful  of  powdered  alum.    Apply  this 

20 


BOLOUOS'S  SEAL. 


230  DISEASES   OF  MEN  AND   WOMEN. 

from  time  to  time,  and  occasionally  gently  press  up  the 
bowels. 

The  Solomon's  seal  is  exceedingly  useful  in  this 
disease.  Its  roots  should  be  well  dried,  reduced  to 
powder,  and  taken  every  night,  beginning  with  half  a 
tea-spoonful,  gradually  increasing  the  quantity.  Or  it 
makes  an  excellent  poultice. 

But  perhaps,  after  all,  while  cold  bathing  is  one  of  the 
best  preservatives  against  the  piles,  so  washing  the 
fundament  twice  a  day  with  the  coldest  spring  water,  or 
ice  water  if  it  can  be  had,  is  one  of  the  best  remedies. 
This,  with  the  occasional  application  of  a  little  sweet 
oil  to  the  fundament,  and  now  and  then  a  gentle  aperient, 
cannot  be  without  advantage. 

We  need  scarcely  to  add,  that  all  high  living  must  be 
avoided,  and  all  wines  and  spirits ;  take  rye-bread,  ripe 
fruits,  and  whatever  else  is  easy  of  digestion.  Do  not 
neglect  a  good  share  of  gentle  exercise  in  the  open  air. 


STITCH,  OR  PAIN  IN  THE  SIDE. 

This  is  a  disease  becoming  prevalent  among  us  as 
the  result  of  the  neglect  of  health  among  many  of  our 
young  ladies;  and  the  increased  pursuit  of  sedentary 
habits,  followed  by  violent  exertion,  such  as  running,  etc. 


DISEASES   OF    MEN   AND   WOMEN.  231 

To  remove  the  pain  at  present,  put  on  the  part  affected  a 
long  strap  of  adhesive  plaster,  or  a  bandage  equally- 
rolled  around  the  body  and  over  the  chest ;  and  to  guard 
against  it  in  future,  make  it  one  of  your  important  Chris- 
tian duties  to  take  care  of  your  health.  Prevention  is 
far  better  than  cure. 


MORTIFICATION. 

This  word  is  usually  employed  to  describe  the  state 
of  a  portion  of  the  body  where  the  circulation  has  ceased 
to  exist,  and  which  frequently  turns  black  or  putrid. 
In  its  early  stage  it  is  called  gangrene^  which  is  usually 
attended  with  high  inflammation,  and  the  swelling  of  the 
parts  affected  accompanied  with  vesications,  like  those 
attended  with  scalds,  but  of  various  colors.  It  has  been 
usually  regarded  as  fatal ;  in  fact,  the  diseased  parts  have 
been  considered  already  dead  ;  and  if  the  life  of  the  pa- 
tient was  preserved  at  all,  it  has  been  supposed  it  could 
only  be  by  amputation.  Eecent  facts,  however,  have 
proved  all  this  to  be  a  mistake ;  and  though  the  disease 
has  not  unfrequently  been  very  far  advanced,  it  has  been 
effectually  checked  and  cured. 

If  mortification  follows  an  inflammation,  there  will  be 
excessive  and  constant  pain,  iutense  anxiety,  and  fre- 


232  DISEASES   OF   MEN"  AND   WOMEIT. 

quently  delirium.  The  affected  part  becomes  soft,  is  of 
a  livid  color,  and  is  deprived  of  sensibility.  Blisters 
are  formed  on  the  part,  under  which  appear  brown 
spots,  and  the  flesh  turns  black,  and  emits  an  unpleasant 
smell.  If  the  result  proves  favorable,  the  mortified  part 
is  surrounded  by  a  white  line,  around  which  matter  is 
formed,  and  the  dead  part  loosens,  comes  away,  and 
leaves  only  a  suppurating  ulcer.  But  if  the  termination 
be  fatal,  the  mortification  rapidly  extends,  constitutional 
irritation  arises,  the  pulse  becomes  small  and  irregular, 
and  death  follows. 

Mortification  is  generally  produced  by  the  blood  ves- 
sels being  choked  by  pressure,  by  violent  bruises,  ex- 
cessive debility  arising  from  protracted  fevers,  or  from 
the  languor  of  old  age. 

As  soon  as  the  vesicles  or  blisters  of  which  we  have 
spoken  appear,  at  once  apply  a  poultice  made  of  yeast 
and  slippery  elm  bark;  place  it  on  warm,  and  often  re- 
new it. 

If  the  debility  of  the  system  has  been  the  predisposing 
cause  of  mortification,  it  must  be  remedied  by  a  more 
exciting  regimen,  and  by  tonics,  according  to  the  taste 
and  wishes  of  the  patient.  Dr.  Ferris  has  recommended 
a  poultice  in  cases  of  mortification,  which  has  been  very 
successful.  It  is  composed  of  scraped  carrots  and 
bruised  spikenard,  which  are  boiled  together  till  they  are 
soft,  in  a  small  quantity  of  water,  with  Indian  or  oat- 


DISEASES  OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN.  233 

meal,  and  applied  warm.  A  common  bread  and  milk 
poultice  with  powdered  charcoal  is  also  good.  In  the 
mortification  of  the  feet  and  toes  of  aged  people,  it  is  sel- 
dom any  thing  is  found  of  service  except  opium,  bark  and 
wine.  In  such  cases  the  disease  begins  at  the  end  of  the 
toes;  where  first  a  blister  arises,  from  which  mortifica- 
tion spreads  up  to  the  limbs. 


HYDROPHOBIA. 

Every  one  knows  that  this  word  is  intended  to  de- 
scribe the  disease  arising  from  the  bite  of  a  mad  dog;  a 
disease  so  awful  in  itself,  and  so  fatal  in  its  consequences, 
that  we  can  never  think  of  it  without  wishing  there  was 
not  a  dog  left  in  the  world.  The  poison  appears  to  be 
attached  exclusively  to  the  saliva,  for  when  the  rabid 
animal  has  bitten  a  man,  if  the  moisture  does  not  enter 
the  wound  no  injury  is  done. 

At  an  uncertain  period  after  the  bite,  though  proba- 
bly always  within  a  year,  a  dull  heavy  pain  seizes  the 
part  bitten,  accompanied  with  swelling,  and  this  even 
though  the  wound  may  have  been  long  ago  healed.  A 
numbness  gradually  proceeds  up  the  limb,  the  patient 
becomes  anxious  and  gloomy ;  he  sleeps  unsoundly,  and 
seeks  for  solitude.  If  the  disease  cannot  be  arrested,  hd 
20* 


234  DISEASES  OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN. 

soon  has  a  perfect  horror  of  water,  attempts  to  swallow 
liquids  produce  suffocation  and  convulsions,  yet  he 
swallows  dry  things  without  difficulty.  His  pains  increase 
and  extend,  his  countenance  becomes  full  of  horror,  and 
though  he  retains  his  senses  to  the  last,  his  eyes  become 
wild  and  furious. 

If  it  be  tolerably  certain  that  one  has  been  bitten  by  a 
rabid  animal,  the  highest  love  will  call  for  the  most  vi- 
gorous measures.  Cut  out  the  whole  flesh  of  the  wound 
and  even  far  beyond  it ;  apply  caustic,  or  rather  send  for 
the  physician  to  do  it ;  lay  on  a  day  or  two  after- 
ward, a  yeast  poultice,  and  keep  up  a  discharge  as  long 
as  possible.  Take  a  strong  infusion  of  scuUcap  through 
the  day,  and  administer  the  lobelia  emetic.  Promote  per- 
spiration by  the  steam  or  vapor  bath.  Bleeding  is  of 
considerable  importance.  It  is,  however,  but  the  part 
of  candor  to  say  that  but  small  hope  may  be  cherished 
when  the  virus  has  once  entered  the  system.  Preven- 
tion, or  the  very  earliest  treatment  of  disease  is  our  only 
real  safety.  Still,  medical  science  is  making  rapid  prog- 
ress, and  even  hydrophobia  may  yet  become  harmless. 
We  have  read  of  "  infallible  remedies,"  but  alas,  we  have 
not  seen  them.  In  the  newspaper  we  took  up  but  half  an 
hour  since,  we  met  with  a  passage  of  which  the  reader 
shall  form  his  own  opinion : 

"  An  old  Vermonter  writes,  I  am  now  in  my  eightieth 
year,  and  have  obtained  what  information  I  could,  both 


DISEASES   OP   MEN"  AND  WOMEN.  235 

from  observation  and  critical  study.  It  has  lately  been 
discovered  that  a  decoction  made  of  the  bark  of  the  roots 
of  the  white  ash,  when  used  as  a  medicine,  will  cure  the 
bite  of  a  mad  dog.  This  undoubtedly  is  owing  to  the 
fact  that  rattlesnakes  can  be  made  more  easily  to  crawl 
over  live  fire  coals  than  white  ash  leaves  ;  and  they  are 
never  found  in  forests  where  the  white  ash  grows." 


VENEREAL  DISEASES. 

Had  we  been  able  to  satisfy  our  conscience  in  doing 
so,  we  would  have  avoided  all  reference  to  these  truly 
loathsome  diseases,  which  present  an  awful  illustra- 
tion of  the  Scripture,  "the  way  of  transgressors  is 
hard."  As  we  write,  we  have  before  the  vivid  eye  of 
our  memory  a  series  of  facts  which  might  almost  make 
our  ears  tingle.  A  young  man  connected  with  a  family 
of  the  highest  respectability,  early  in  life  indulged  in 
the  sin  which  brought  on  syphilis ;  much  labor  and  ex- 
pense led,  as  it  was  believed,  to  a  full  cure,  and  after  a 
few  years  he  married  a  most  amiable  lady  of  wealth 
ind  beauty,  entered  an  honorable  profession,  and  by 
nis  piety  and  benevolence  rose  to  high  esteem  in  the 
community.  The  middle  period  of  life  arrived,  his 
wealth  increased,  and  a  large  and  beautiful  family  of 


236  DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN. 

children  surrounded  him.  Disease  attacked  him,  and 
physicians  at  length  were  compelled  to  tell  him  that  ho 
suffered  from  uneradicated  and  incurable  disease,  arising 
"  from  the  sins  of  his  youth ;"  and  in  a  state  of  chagrin 
and  grief,  which  the  pen  cannot  describe,  he  soon  after 
ended  the  mournful  tragedy  by  death.  Young  men, 
beware  ! 

Gonorrhoea^  or  Clap^  is  the  simplest  form  venereal  as- 
sumes, and  is,  perhaps,  the  most  easily  and  quickly 
cured.  It  commences  in  a  discharge  of  matter  from  the 
urethra,  as  also  hot  urine ;  this  is  succeeded  by  an  un- 
pleasant itching  about  the  parts  of  generation,  accom- 
panied with  soreness  and  tingling  sensation  along  the 
whole  course  of  the  urethra ;  and  soon  after  this  is  ob- 
served the  appearance  of  whitish  matter  at  its  orifice, 
and  increasing  pain  in  the  evacuation  of  urine. 

Ghordee  is  another  form  of  the  disease,  or  rather,  per- 
haps, another  stage  of  the  same ;  for  it  usually  arises 
from  the  neglect  of  Oonorrhoea^  or  sometimes  from  taking 
too  violent  exercise,  such  as  riding  on  horseback  while 
the  patient  is  suffering  from  it.  This  is  a  spasmodic 
contraction  of  the  penis,  which  curves  downward  and 
cannot  be  raised  without  great  pain.  It  is,  however,  often 
erected  during  sleep,  when  the  patient  is  warm  in  bed,  pro- 
ducing an  involuntary  emission  of  semen.  In  the  case 
of  a  woman,  this  form  of  disease  resembles  the  whites  in 
their  worst  stago,  except  that  there  is  always  a  scalding 


DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN".  237 

sensation  in  making  water,  and  a  continual  uneasiness 
and  itching  about  the  parts,  unknown  in  mere  whites. 
The  remedy  for  this  is,  that  as  soon  as  the  spasm  comes 
on,  you  should  pour  cold  water  on  the  parts  which  pain 
you ;  and  if  there  is  a  discharge  of  blood,  apply  poultices 
of  cold  milk  and  bread,  or  a  poultice  of  slippery  elm. 
Sometimes  bathing  the  part  with  vinegar  and  water  has 
been  of  great  use. 

In  all  cases,  nearly  as  much  depends  on  cleanliness 
as  on  medicine ;  therefore  let  the  diseased  part  be  well 
washed  in  a  good  quantity  of  warm  water  and  castile 
soap,  three  or  four  times  every  day. 

Professor  Chapman  recommends  the  balsam  of  co- 
paivi  on  the  very  commencement  of  the  disease,  in 
doses  of  from  twenty-five  to  forty  drops  morning,  noon, 
and  night,  according  to  the  strength  of  the  patient,  in  a 
little  wine  or  milk.  It  is  best  given,  however,  in  another 
way.  Take  half  an  ounce,  each,  of  balsam  copaivi  and 
sweet  spirits  of  nitre,  the  white  of  an  egg  or  two  drachms 
of  powdered  gum  arabic,  and  the  same  quantity  of 
white  sugar,  with  one  drachm  of  laudanum  and  three 
ounces  of  water ;  carefully  mix  them,  and  take  a  table- 
spoonful  three  times  a  day. 

Balsam  of  Copaiva  and  Cuhebs  seem  to  be  the  two 
grand  essentials  in  the  cure  of  this  disease.  If  preferred, 
the  following  preparation  may  be  taken  instead  of  the 
one  already  given : — Take   of  pulverized   cubebs  one 


238  DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND  WOilEN. 

ounce;  of  the  best  Ilollands  gin  one  pint;  one  ounce  of 
spearmint ;  two  ounces  balsam  of  copaiva ;  and  one 
dracbm  oil  of  wintergreen.  Mix  them  well,  and  take 
two  tea-spoonsful  three  times  a  day,  one  hour  before  or 
two  hours  after  eating.  Perseverance  in  the  use  of 
either  of  these  remedies,  with  strict  cleanliness  of  the 
diseased  part,  and  an  entire  abstinence  from  intoxicating 
drinks,  will  almost  certainly  effect  a  cure. 

Syphilis  or  Pox  must  not  be  neglected,  unless  the 
patient  would  die.  The  history  of  this  disease,  and  the 
mischief  it  has  done  in  the  world  for  many  centuries, 
are  truly  terrific.  Almost  imperceptible  in  its  origin, 
it  corrupts  the  whole  body,  makes  the  very  air  offensive 
to  surrounding  friends,  and  lays  multitudes  literally  to 
rot  in  the  grave. 

It  commences  in  one  part  of  the  body,  and  usually, 
in  more  or  less  degree,  extends  to  the  whole  system, 
and  is  said  by  the  most  eminent  physicians  to  be  a 
morbid  poison,  having  the  power  of  extending  itself  to 
every  part  of  the  body  into  which  it  is  infused,  and  to 
other  persons  with  whom  it,  in  any  way,  comes  into 
contact;  so  that  even  its  moisture,  communicated  by 
linen  or  otherwise,  may  corrupt  those  who  unfortunately 
touch  it.  Innumerable  remedies  have  been  prescribed 
for  it,  but  it  is  difiScult  to  say  when  it  is  really  cured ; 
indeed,  some  very  wise  men  have  doubted  whether  it  is 
ever  radically  removed.     "Whatever  of  shame  may  be 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN.  239 

felt  by  the  unhappy  patient,  if  there  be  a  proper  regard 
for  life,  to  say  nothing  of  the  interests  of  society,  the 
best  accessible  physician  will  be  consulted,  and  his 
counsels  most  carefully  adhered  to. 

As  the  disease  advances,  an  ulcer  is  formed,  the  bot- 
tom of  which  is  hard,  and  the  edges  a  little  prominent; 
nor  is  it  long  before  inflammation  takes  place. 

Very  commonly  associated  with  these  symptoms 
will  be  found  what  the  physicians  call  Chancre.  This 
is  seen  in  small  eruptions  or  ulcers  in  different  parts  of 
the  head  of  the  penis,  accompanied  with  considerable 
itching.  It  is  soon  followed  by  inflammation,  which 
should  be  reduced  by  applying  an  elm  bark  poultice  on 
lint.  When  the  inflammation  has  subsided,  sprinkle 
the  ulcers  daily  with  powdered  blood-root ;  and  if  this 
does  not  succeed,  the  physician  will  probably  apply 
caustic  and  mercurial  preparations :  but  let  not  the 
patient  tamper  with  these  things.  The  sufferer  will  see 
the  importance  of  a  due  attention  to  the  bowels,  which 
should  be  kept  open  with  gentle  cooling  medicines. 
All  high  living  and  hot  drinks  must  be  carefully  avoided, 
and  take  only  light  nutritious  food,  and  for  drink,  use 
infusions  of  flax-seed,  barley  water,  or  the  solution  of 
gum  arable.  As  much  rest  should  be  obtained  as  possi- 
ble ;  and  again  we  urge  the  importance  of  cleanliness 
by  the  use  of  Castile  soap,  or  if  found  better,  by  warm 
milk  and  water. 


210  DISEASES  OF   MEN   AND  WOMEN. 

Bubo  is  a  further  step  in  the  sad  progress  of  this  awful 
disease.  The  poison  has  now  become  absorbed  in  the 
system  and  greatly  swells  the  glands  of  the  groin,  in 
•which  it  commences  with  great  pain,  accompanied  with 
hardness.  It  begins  about  the  size  of  a  bean,  and  not 
unfrequently  grows  as  large  as  an  egg.  The  patient  shows 
great  redness  of  the  skin,  feels  much  throbbing  pain 
about  the  tumor,  and  walks  with  much  difficulty.  As 
soon  as  this  begins  to  appear,  the  part  should  be  rubbed 
■with  blue  ointment  of  mercury  two  or  three  times  a 
week  ;  but  if  the  tumor  has  become  too  large  to  be  dis- 
persed, a  poultice  of  slippery  elm  or  of  white  lead  and 
milk  should  be  applied,  and  may  then  be  treated  as  a 
boil.  After  it  has  been  opened,  it  may  be  treated  with 
lint,  red  precipitate,  and,  above  all,  strict  cleanliness. 

As  we  have  given  an  ample  description  of"this  disease, 
we  now  proceed  to  its  treatment.  Take  first  of  all  an 
active  purge  of  calomel  and  jalap  to  clear  the  bowels 
of  all  obstructions  and  causes  of  irritation.  Or  take 
two  drachms  each  of  gum  gamboge,  bitter  apple,  and 
dragon's  tongue,  and  forty  grains  of  sal  prunella ;  mix 
them  well  together,  and  take  from  twenty  to  thirty 
grains  three  times  a  day  in  sweetened  water,  continuing 
it  for  three  or  four  days.  If  the  evacuations  become 
yellow  and  watery,  and  the  patient  feels  great  weakness, 
take  from  ten  to  twenty  drops  of  laudanum,  or  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  paregoric  to  check  the  violent  operation  of 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND   WOMEN. 


241 


the  medicine.  The  vast  majority  of  physicians  have 
recourse  to  calomel,  in  some  of  its  various  forms,  for  a 
cure;  but  some  who  object  to  this  treatment,  depend 
much  on  mandrake,  which  has  been  found  useful  by 
physicians  who 
long  depended  on 
mercury  as  the 
only  remedy  for 
this  disease. — 
They  have  ascer- 
tained  that  there 
is  in  the  man- 
drdlce^  or  Indian 
appU^  all  the  pe- 
culiar qualities  of 
mercury,  so  far 
as  this  disease  is 
concerned.  Its 
best  mode  of  pre- 
paration is  to  pul- 
verize   the    root  masdbaioi. 

and  mix  it  with 

equal  parts  of  powdered  spearmint  and  cream  of  tartar. 

Give  a  tea-spoonful  in  molasses  or  tea  about  twice  a 

week. 

Others  place  almost  boundless  confidence  in  a  syrup 
prepared    of  one   pound    each   of  burdock   root    elder 
21  P 


242  DISEASES   OF   MEN  AND  WOMEN. 

flowers,  and  sassafras  root-bark,  together  with  a  pound 
and  a  half  of  guaicum  shavings  and  three  pounds  of 
American  or  foreign  sarsaparilla.  Put  these  into  two 
quarts  of  spirits  and  the  same  quantity  of  water ;  boil 
them  repeatedly,  adding  fresh  water  to  them,  till  the 
full  strength  is  obtained ;  strain  and  reduce  them  to 
eight  porter  bottles  full ;  add  to  this  preparation  twelve 
pounds  of  clarified  sugar ;  let  it  stand  twenty-four  hours, 
strain  and  bottle  it  for  use.  The  proper  dose  to  be 
taken  is  a  wine-glassful  three  or  four  times  a  day. 

After  all  we  have  said,  we  repeat  our  advice,  that  in 
a  disease  so  dangerous  as  this,  the  skillful  physician 
must  be  consulted.  No  treatment  recommended  with- 
out seeing  the  patient,  and  examining  his  symptoms,  can 
be  entirely  relied  on. 

Gleet  is  rather  the  result,  or  the  remains  of  the  disease 
of  which  we  have  been  treating,  than  the  disease  itself. 
It  consists  in  a  continual  running  or  discharge  after  all 
the  inflammatory  symptoms  have  abated.  It  is  attended 
with  scalding  pain  in  making  water,  and  may  come  long 
after  the  disease  has  been  apparently  cured ;  indeed, 
some  physicians  have  thought  that  by  possibility  it  may 
be  brought  on  by  means  altogether  apart  from  those  of 
a  venereal  character.  They  have  further  said,  that  a 
simple  gleet  is  not  infectious.  The  disease  must  not  be 
neglected,  or  it  will  become  obstinate  and  take  years  to 
cure;  no  small  matter,  when  it  is  remembered  that  it 


DISEASES   OF   MEN   AND   WOMEN.  243 

constantly  lessens  the  energy  of  the  whole  system,  and 
keeps  its  subject  in  a  state  of  prostration. 

Perhaps  the  best  remedy  for  gleet  is  cold  sea-bathing. 
Next  to  that,  bathing  the  parts  with  cold  water  four  or 
five  times  a  day  will  be  found  the  best  way  of  making 
them  strong.  In  addition  to  this,  obtain  a  phialful  of 
muriated  tincture  of  iron,  and  take  thirty  drops  of  it 
three  times  a  day  in  a  wine-glass  of  strong  cold  tea, 
made  of  the  dog-wood  bark.  Probably  a  month's  per- 
severance in  this  course  of  bathing  and  medicine  will 
afford  full  relief.  Many  have  successfully  used  the 
turpentine  of  the  common  pine-tree,  made  into  pills  of 
the  ordinary  size — one  of  them  taken  three  times  a 
day.  This  remedy  has  succeeded  when  many  other  things 
have  failed. 

If  during  the  existence  of  venereal  disease,  in  any  form 
or  stage,  the  mouth  becomes  sore,  a  gargle  may  be  used 
twice  or  thrice  a  day  made  of  half  an  ounce  of  borax, 
one  ounce  of  honey,  and  a  pint  of  rose  tea  or  soft  boiling 
water.  In  such  a  case  the  medicine  may  be  omitted  for 
a  day  or  two.  Also,  as  before  stated,  high  living  and 
exciting  drinks  mnst  be  carefully  avoided  till  every 
symptom  of  the  disease  has  disappeared. 


WOUNDS,    ACCIDENTS,    AND    MINOR 

DISEASES. 


E  are   all   exposed  to  accidents,  some  of 
p'   which  will  produce  wounds  too  slight  to 


demand  the    attendance 
^^^ffl    of    a  professional    man, 


and  yet  too  important 
to  be  neglected.  Small 
wounds,  such  as  cuts,  should  instantly  be  bound  up  in 
the  blood,  and  if  thought  proper,  in  a  little  brown  sugar, 
and  kept  secure  from  the  air  till  they  are  well.  If  the 
wound  should  be  rather  large,  bring  the  edges  of  the 
separated  parts  together,  and  lay  on  them  a  piece  of 
sticking-plaster. 

If  the  bleeding  of  a  wound  cannot  be  readily  stopped, 
take  some  linen  or  cotton  rags,  burn  them  to  powder, 
and  put  it  on  the  wound.  A  spider's  web,  or  a  little 
lint  pulled  from  a  beaver  hat,  will  answer  the  same  pur- 
pose. 

(244) 


WOUNDS,   ACCIDENTS,   ETC.  245 

It  will  often  happen  that  what  is  called  proud  flesh, 
a  white  irritating  spot,  will  appear  in  the  middle  of  a 
wound.  This  may  be  removed  without  pain,  by  simply 
covering  the  part  affected  with  scrapings  from  cow's 
horn.  From  one  to  three  applications  is  all  that  is 
necessary.  It  should  be  allowed  to  remain  on  from  six 
to  twelve  hours.  We  have  known  the  same  end  accom- 
plished by  laying  on  the  part,  once  or  twice,  a  little 
powdered  loaf  sugar ;  or  it  may  be  sprinkled  witli  blood- 
root,  finely  pulverized. 

It  is  becoming  common  to  use  chloroform  in  cases  of 
wounds  and  injuries.  The  French  surgeons,  however, 
have  discovered  that  an  application  of  pounded  ice  and 
common  salt  to  the  diseased  limbs  causes  numbness  and 
insensibility,  so  that  surgical  operations  can  be  per- 
formed without  pain  to  the  patient,  and  without  the  risk 
involved  in  the  use  of  chloroform. 

In  the  treatment  of  wounds,  it  is  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance to  guard  against  inflammation.  If  this  should 
become  violent,  it  must  be  relieved  by  bleeding ;  but 
generally  the  early  use  of  poultices  and  emollients  will 
prevent  the  evil.  Convulsions  not  unfrequently  follow 
even  slight  wounds,  such  as  scratches;  in  such  cases 
the  patient  should  be  immersed  as  soon  as  possible  in 
warm  water,  into  which  has  been  thrown  a  quantity  of 
wood  ashes,  and  opium  should  be  given  every  two  or 
three  hours.  Let  the  patient  be  kept  as  quiet  and  easy 
21* 


246  WOUNDS,   ACCIDENTS,   ETC. 

as  possible ;  keep  him  on  spare  diet,  and  let  the  bowels 
be  gently  open.  If  the  wound  begins  to  discharge  mat- 
ter, a  more  generous  diet  will  be  necessary. 


GUN-SnOT   WOUNDS. 

These  demand  immediate  and  careful  attention,  being 
more  dangerous  than  almost  any  others,  from  their  dis- 
position to  mortification.  Unless  the  patient  suffer  from 
great  exhaustion,  leeches  should  be  applied  near  the 
edges  of  the  sore,  and  bread  and  milk  poultices  laid 
on  as  soon  as  the  bleeding  has  ceased  ;  as  early  as 
may  be,  the  separated  parts  must  be  brought  together 
by  plasters  or  bandages.  A  light  nourishing  diet  should 
be  given,  and  whatever  may  tend  to  heal  the  wound 
encouraged.  A  little  lint  dipped  in  the  solution  of  lime- 
water  may  be  applied  with  advantage. 


FEVER  SORE. 

This  disease  is  the  inflammation  and  ulceration  of  a 
bone.  It  is  sometimes  caused  by  a  blow  affecting  the 
flesh  and  bone ;  and  at  other  times  it  is  produced  by  a 
general   disease  becoming  a  local  one.     lu  either  case, 


WOUNDS,   ACCIDENTS,   ETC.  247 

the   system   must   be   cleansed    from    all    acrimonious 
humors  by  emetics  and  purgatives. 

Fever  sore  generally  first  shows  itself  by  an  obtuse, 
deep-seated,  aching  pain,  exceedingly  distressing  to  the 
patient,  and  soon  seriously  affecting  the  general  health. 
The  part  swells  and  a  tumor  forms,  hard,  red,  and  ex- 
tremely tender,  which  is  attended  with  increasing  heat 
and  inflammation.  Apply  at  once  a  sorrel  poultice, 
and  cooling  fomentations,  as  also  a  little  opium.  If, 
unhappily,  the  symptoms  increase,  lay  a  blister  about 
the  size  of  a  dollar  below  the  part  afiected,  and  when  it 
has  properly  risen,  take  off  the  skin,  and  dress  it  three 
or  four  times  a  day  with  on  ointment  made  of  equal 
parts  of  plantain  and  chamomile,  simmered  in  hog's 
lard.  If  these  remedies  do  not  succeed,  the  danger  de- 
mands the  attendance  of  a  skillful  surgeon. 


WHITE-SWELLING. 

This  painful  and  difficult  disease  is  generally  seated 
on  some  of  the  largest  joints  of  the  body,  such  as  the 
hip,  knee,  ankle,  or  elbow.  It  derives  its  name  from  the 
fact  that  the  skin  remains  white,  even  in  the  greatest 
inflammation.  In  most  cases  the  seat  of  the  pain  is  the 
covering  of  the  bone,  and  it  is  generally  found  in  per- 


2-18  WOUNDS,  ACCIDENTS,  ETC. 

sons  of  scrofulous  habits.  la  its  commencement,  the 
swelling  usually  occupies  the  small  hollows  of  the  joints, 
but  extends  till  it  becomes  general,  the  limb  becoming 
stiff  and  crooked.  As  the  disease  progresses,  the  joint 
appears  of  enormous  size,  the  skin  remains  smooth  and 
shining,  a  few  red  veins  running  over  it;  openings  ap- 
pear, and  discharges  begin ;  the  health  fails,  and  hectio 
fever  comes  on.  It  generally  seizes  young  persons  from 
five  to  fifteen,  and  is  very  seldom  known  after  twenty- 
five  ;  but  if  recovery  is  long  delayed,  the  disease  is  in- 
evitably fatal.  Many  a  fine  healthy  child  has  been  sud- 
denly seized  with  it,  reduced  to  a  skeleton  by  excru- 
ciating pain,  and  soon  laid  in  the  grave.  Every  one 
must  see  that  our  attempts  to  effect  a  cure  can  only 
apply  to  its  very  first  stages ;  after  openings  appear,  the 
skillful  sugeon  must  be  called  in,  who  will  apply  more 
severe  remedies,  perhaps  even  amputation :  a  desperate 
remedy,  but,  be  it  remembered,  it  is  for  a  desperate 
disease. 

When  the  disease  first  appears,  steam  the  parts  over 
the  decoction  of  bitter  herbs,  such  as  tansy,  hops,  worm- 
wood, pennyroyal,  and  catnip,  made  quite  strong  and 
hot,  into  which  should  be  put  half  a  pint  of  soft  soap. 
Steam  the  part  in  this  decoction  at  least  fifteen  minutes, 
keeping  it  hot  with  heated  bricks  or  stones.  Imme- 
diately after  this  is  done,  prepare  a  liquid  of  half  a  gill 
of  gin,  half  an  ounce  of  camphor,  a  large  table-spoonful 


WOUNDS,   ACCIDENTS,   ETC.  249 

of  laudanum,  and  tlie  marrow  of  three  hog's  jaws ;  sim- 
mer them  together,  and  rub  the  swelling  with  the  oint- 
ment. A  poultice  may  then  be  applied  made  of  equal 
parts  of  dandelion  roots,  the  heart  of  mullen,  and  catnip ; 
boil  them  in  milk  and  thicken  with  flour.  Apply  the 
steam  every  morning,  and  the  poultice  every  morning 
and  evening,  till  the  swelling  breaks.  After  this,  apply 
a  salve  made  of  a  handful  of  English  clover,  a  piece  of 
resin  as  large  as  a  walnut,  half  a  pound  of  sheep's  tal- 
low, and  a  handful  of  bitter-sweet  berries,  slowly  stewed 
on  embers.     Eenew  this  twice  a  day. 


ULCEES. 

An  ulcer  may  be  distinguished  from  a  common  wound 
by  its  discharging  a  thin  watery  humor,  which  is  often 
so  acrid  as  to  inflame  and  corrode  the  skin.  Ulcers  are 
often  the  consequences  of  wounds  or  bruises,  or  from  a 
general  bad  state  of  the  body.  They  most  commonly 
attend  the  aged,  and  persons  who  live  well  and  take 
little  exercise.  The  principal  difficulty  is  to  decide 
whether  an  ulcer  should  be  dried  up  or  not ;  for  if  it 
arises  from  the  general  impurity  of  the  blood,  its  con- 
tinuance may  be  essential  to  the  life  of  the  patient.  In 
this  case  the  remedies  should  all  tend  to  the  removal 


250  WOUNDS,   ACCIDENTS,   ETC. 

of  its  cause,  when  the  ulcer  will  heal  of  itself.  "When 
ulcers  attend  or  follow  chronic  diseases,  they  must  be 
cautiously  healed ;  but  if  they  waste  the  strength  by 
slow  fever,  they  should  be  healed  as  soon  as  possible. 

Bandages  are  of  great  service  in  healing  many  kinds 
of  ulcers.  A  plaster  should  be  spread  of  ointment  com- 
posed of  one  pound  of  hog's  lard,  half  a  pound  of  lead 
plaster,  and  five  ounces  of  prepared  calamine.  This 
should  be  spread  on  a  cotton  or  silk  rag,  and  bound  on 
the  ulcer  by  a  roller  a  yard  or  two  long,  and  changed 
every  day. 

If  the  ulcer  presents  an  irritable  appearance,  that  is, 
if  the  bottom  of  it  has  unequal  lumps  and  hollows,  and 
it  gives  a  thin  discharge,  and  when  touched  is  painful 
and  bleeds,  steam  it  over  hot  water,  apply  a  carrot  poul- 
tice or  one  of  flaxseed,  with  a  few  drops  of  laudanum; 
in  this  case,  it  may  be  well  to  omit  the  bandage.  The 
regimen  should  be  generous;  a  little  wine  or  bark  may 
be  taken. 


WENS  AND  FISTULAS. 

These  need  no  description,  and  happily  the  remedy 
for  them  is  easy.  Take  the  yolks  of  eggs,  beat  them  up 
well,  and  add  to  them  as  much  fine  salt  as  they  will 
dissolve.     Bind   some  of  this   preparation  on  the   part 


WOUNDS,   ACCIDENTS,   ETC.  251 

affected,  and  renew  it  every  twelve  hours.  Let  the  pro- 
fessional man  only  be  employed  to  perform  an  operation, 
if  one  is  necessary. 


WHITLOW,  OR  FELON. 

This  disease  is  an  inflammation  of  the  fingers,  thumb, 
or  hand,  or  sometimes  the  toes,  very  painful,  and  hav- 
ing a  strange  tendency  to  suppuration.  It  commences 
with  a  pricking,  throbbing  sensation,  followed  by  swell- 
ing, and  sometimes  extends  to  the  sinews  and  bones. 
The  disease  may  be  removed  with  far  less  suffering  than 
has  been  generally  supposed.  Make  a  decoction  of 
herbs,  such  as  catnip,  wormwood,  tansy,  and  hops,  say 
a  handful  of  each;  boil  them  till  their  strength  is  ex- 
tracted, and  then  add  a  small  quantity  of  soft  soap ; 
place  the  whole  in  a  vessel,  hold  the  hand  over  it,  re 
taining  the  steam  by  a  blanket  or  piece  of  flannel.  Con- 
tinue this  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  or  as  long  as  the 
patient  can  bear  it ;  and  if  there  is  not  sufficient  heat 
to  produce  perspiration,  let  a  hot  brick  or  stone  be 
thrown  into  the  decoction.  This  remedy  has  been  truly 
surprising  in  its  effects.  In  some  cases  a  poultice  of 
slippery  elm  and  linseed,  simmered  in  milk,  has  been 
used  with  great  advantage.     If  a  small  white  spot  ap- 


252  WOUNDS,   ACCIDENTS,    ETC. 

pears  in  the  centre  of  the  swelling,  a  large  needle  should 
be  used  to  open  a  course  for  the  matter  to  escape,  which 
may  be  repeated  if  necessary.  If,  when  the  wound  ia 
healed,  the  sinews  are  contracted,  use  a  little  relaxing 
ointment  or  sweet  oil. 


WAETS. 

These  little  excrescences  on  the  hands  or  fingers  are 
too  well  known  to  need  description.  The  best  remedies 
are  the  most  simple.     Here  is  one : — 

Bind  a  leaf  of  house  leek,  from  which  you  have  re- 
moved the  skin,  on  a  wart  a  few  nights  in  succession,  and 
the  wart  will  disappear. 

Here  is  another : — 

Tie  a  piece  of  raw  cotton  to  the  wart,  and  wet  it  seve- 
ral times  a  day  with  spirits  of  turpentine ;  this  will,  in 
three  days,  cure  the  wart  without  the  least  pain. 

We  have  known  large  and  obstinate  warts  removed 
by  daily  rubbing  them  for  a  week  or  two  with  the  in- 
side of  the  moist  shells  of  Windsor  beans. 


CORNS. 


VERY    adult     reader    has    probably 
suffered    from    these   painful  excres- 
cences on  the  feet.     They  are  usually 
brought   on   by   wearing    tight 
boots   and   shoes,    and    will   be 
most     effectually    relieved     by 
easy  ones.    Two  or  three  speedy 
remedies  may  be  mentioned. 

Take  eight  or  twelve  pieces  of  linen  and  spread  over 
them  a  little  soft  ointment,  usually  called  cold  cream, 
which  may  be  easily  made.  Take  half  an  ounce  of  white 
wax,  half  an  ounce  of  spermaceti,  and  three  ounces  of 
almond  oil.  Put  the  whole  into  a  basin,  and  place  it  in 
hot  water  till  fused ;  then  gradually  add  three  ounces 
of  rose-water,  elder-water,  or  orange-flower  water,  stir- 
ring all  the  time  with  a  fork  or  small  whisk.  Any 
perfume  may  be  added ;  but  medicinally,  it  is  better 
without.  When  cold,  it  is  fit  for  use.  Let  each  of 
the  pieces  of  linen  on  which  you  have  spread  this 
ointment  be  cut  in  the  middle  fitting  the  corn,  and 
lay  them  over  each  other,  so  that  the  corn  may  not 
touch  the  shoe  or  stocking.  Apply  these  plasters  con- 
22  (253) 


254  WOUNDS,   ACCIDENTS,   ETC. 

stantly,  and  in  two  or  three  weeks  the  corns  will  dis- 
appear. 

Another  remedy  is  to  take  two  ounces  each  of  yellow 
wax  and  gum  ammoniac,  and  six  drachms  of  verdigris. 
Of  these  make  an  ointment,  of  which  apply  a  plaster ; 
which,  if  necessary,  renew  two  weeks  afterward. 

Persons  troubled  with  corns  have  entirely  lost  them 
when  confined  by  sickness  to  their  beds  for  two  or  three 
weeks ;  and  we  have  known  them  removed  by  the  appli- 
cation of  a  blister  a  little  larger  than  the  corn,  which  has 
brought  them  away  by  the  roots. 


SCROFULA,  OR  KING'S  EYIL. 

In  the  estimation  of  many  persons,  this  disease  has 
been  regarded  as  almost  sacred.  For  ages  its  almost 
only  cure  was  considered  to  be  the  touch  of  a  king. 
From  the  days  of  Edward  the  Confessor  to  a  very  recent 
period,  an  important  part  of  the  kingly  office  was  that 
the  sovereign  should  lay  the  royal  hand  on  the  scrofu- 
lous patient,  and  miraculously  heal  this  sad  malady. 
This  superstition  appears  to  have  reached  its  height  in 
the  time  of  Charles  the  Second,  who,  according  to  a 
register  in  the  Royal  Chapel,  thus  touched  more  than 
ninety-two   thousand   persons.     Even    the   learned   Dr. 


WOUNDS,   ACCIDENTS,   ETC.  255 

Samuel  Johnson,  was  thus  treated  by  Queen  Anne  for 
the  removal  of  scrofula. 

The  disease  is  one  especially  affecting  the  glands, 
particularly  those  of  the  neck ;  we  consider  it  often  he- 
reditary, but  not  contagious :  it  usually  develops  itself 
in  young  persons  from  about  the  age  of  seven  years  till 
that  of  puberty.  It  abounds  most  in  marshy  and  cold 
neighborhoods,  among  neglected  children  and  negroes, 
and  arises  from  a  venereal  taint,  confined  air,  bad  water, 
unwholesome  food,  want  of  exercise,  or  whatever  else 
tends  to  vitiate  the  blood. 

It  usually  commences  with  the  appearance  of  small 
knots  under  the  chin  or  behind  the  ears,  which  gra- 
dually increase  in  number  and  size,  till  they  form  one 
large  hard  tumor,  which  often  continues  for  a  long  time 
without  breaking,  and  when  it  begins  to  discharge,  it 
issues  forth  a  thin  watery  humor ;  but  then  goes  on,  if 
unchecked,  till  the  bones  become  carious,  and  often 
come  away  in  pieces.  It  is  very  painful  to  see  a  young 
person  of  a  beautiful  complexion  and  light  blue  eyes, 
beginning  to  swell  about  the  upper  lip,  or  perhaps,  the 
fingers  and  toes,  attended  with  no  great  degree  of  pain,  till 
it  has  progressed  so  as  to  induce  suffering  for  many  years, 
and  perhaps  death  in  the  end.  It  is  highly  possible  that 
several  kinds  of  medicines  must  be  tried  before  any  will 
succeed  in  its  removal ;  and  therefore  we  recommend 
that  changes  be  made  in  the  mode  of  treatment  at  least 


256  WOUNDS,   ACCIDENTS,  ETC. 

every  two  or  three  months ;  though,  after  all,  we  believe 
that  nutritious  food,  great  cleanliness,  pure  air,  and 
gentle  exercise,  will,  in  the  end,  do  more  for  the  patient 
than  all  the  medicines  in  the  world. 

We  strongly  recommend  that  in  scrofulous  cases  all 
mercurial  preparations  be  carefully  avoided  and  all 
violent  purgatives.  The  whole  disease  arises  from  re- 
laxations, and  needs  whatever  will  strengthen  the  sys- 
tem. When  the  affected  part  has  begun  to  swell,  make 
a  poultice  of  the  Indian  turnip  or  wake-robin,  to  which 
add  some  slippery  elm;  lay  it  cold  on  the  part,  and 
renew  it  if  necessary.  Let  this  be  continued  till  the 
swelling  subsides  or  breaks,  and  then  apply  a  poultice 
of  yellow  or  narrow  dock-root  and  slippery  elm.  After 
a  few  days  this  poultice  should  also  be  changed  for  one 
made  of  equal  parts  of  slippery  elm,  bayberry  bark 
finely  pulverized,  and  crackers.  Much  advantage  has 
been  derived  in  this  disease  from  taking  pills  made  of 
tar.  Take  common  tar,  boil  it  down  hard  enough  to 
make  into  pills,  and  take  four  every  day.  They  have 
been  very  useful  in  purifying  the  blood.  These  pills 
have  been  used  by  many  persons  who  had  a  tendency  to 
the  disease,  as  an  infallible  preservative. 

An  eminent  physician  has  recommended  the  use  of 
Peruvian  bark  and  steel,  to  be  taken  alternately  every 
two  weeks ;  but  he  considers  that  the  muriate  of  lime, 
given  in  doses  beginning  at  ten  and  gradually  increasing 


•WOUNDS,   ACCIDENTS,   ETC.  257 

to  sixty  drops,  three  or  four  times  a  day,  in  tea  or  water, 
is  far  better  than  any  thing  else.  The  very  frequent 
application  of  linen  rags  dipped  in  a  solution  of  one 
ounce  of  sugar  of  lead  in  a  pint  of  water,  has  been  veiy 
useful.  Bathing  in  salt  water,  especially  in  the  warm 
season,  is  of  great  advantage ;  this  should  be  attended 
with  a  good  draught  of  the  sea- water  every  morning. 


SCURVY. 

Though  scurvy  is  often  considered  the  same  as  scro- 
fula, there  are  between  them  important  differences.  In 
many  cases  they  have  a  common  origin ;  but  perhaps 
the  scurvy  especially  arises  from  bad  ventilation,  and 
from  the  use  of  hard  salt  food.  In  days  when  modern 
improvements  in  ship-building,  and  in  the  proper  pre- 
servation of  meats,  were  unknown,  those  accustomed  to 
the  sea  suffered  dreadfully  from  this  disease. 

The  patient  afflicted  with  it  has  often  to  complain  of 
extreme  debility,  difficulty  of  breathing,  pale  and  bloated 
complexion,  offensive  breath,  urine,  and  the  evacuation 
of  the  bowels;  the  legs  often  swell,  and  the  spirits  are 
greatly  depressed. 

The  treatment  of  scurvy  is  not  difficult.  Cleanliness, 
fresh  air,  and  gentle  exercise,  are  all  essential  to  re- 
22*  Q 


258  WOUNDS,   ACCIDENTS,   ETC. 

covery ;  so  also  is  pure  water,  and  a  proper  attention  to 
the  stomach  and  bowels.  It  is  not  well  to  take  much 
medicine  in  such  cases;  but  it  is  important  to  have  re- 
course to  a  small  portion  of  that  which  has  proved  very 
useful.  Take  half  a  pound  of  the  root  of  great  water- 
dock,  and  cut  it  into  thin  slices ;  put  it  into  a  stone  jar, 
and  pour  upon  it  a  gallon  of  boiling  water.  Cover  it 
up,  and  let  ft  stand  twenty-four  hours;  put  the  whole 
into  a  saucepan,  and  boil  it  about  ten  minutes;  let  it 
stand  to  be  quite  cold,  and  strain  it  oflf  without  squeez- 
ing.    Drink  half  a  pint  of  it  twice  a  day. 

The  diet  should  be  of  a  light,  nutritious,  and  some- 
what generous  kind.  Take  plenty  of  acids,  and  an 
abundance  of  vegetables,  with  as  much  horse-radish, 
mustard,  cress,  etc.,  as  your  appetite  may  call  for.  Fruit 
jnay  be  eaten  in  any  quantity,  such  as  apples,  lemons, 
oranges,  and  whatever  else  may  contain  acid  properties. 


SCALDS  AND  BUENS. 

Of  all  remedies  we  know  of  in  these  distressing  and 
often  fatal  accidents,  unquestionably  the  best  is  to  cover, 
even  almost  to  load,  the  part  affected  with  the  common 
wheaten  flour,  binding  as  much  on  the  wound  as  it  will 
bear.     In  the  "American  Medical  Gazette,"  Dr.  Reese  ear- 


WOUNDS,   ACCIDEN'TS,   ETC.  259 

nestly  reiterates  his  advice  to  apply  flour  to  scalds  and 
burns : — We  still  see  reported,  almost  daily,  an  appall 
iiig  numbei  of  deaths  by  burns  and  scalds,  not  one  of 
which,  we  take  upon  ourselves  to  say,  need  prove  fatal, 
or  would  do  so,  if  a  few  pounds  of  wheat  flour  could  be 
promptly  applied  to  the  wounds  made  by  fire,  and  re- 
peated until  the  inflammatory  stage  had  passed.  We 
have  never  known  a  fatal  case  of  scalding  or  burning  in 
which  this  practice  has  been  pursued,  during  more  than 
thirty  years'  experience,  and  having  treated  hundreds 
in  both  public  and  private  practice.  We  have  known 
the  most  extensive  burns  by  falling  into  caldrons  of 
boiling  oil,  and  even  molten  copper,  and  yet  the  patients 
were  rescued  by  this  simple  and  cheap  remedy,  which, 
from  its  infallible  success,  should  supplant  all  the  fashion- 
able nostrums,  whether  oil,  cotton,  lead-water,  ice,  tur- 
pentine, or  pain  extractors,  every  one  of  which  has  been 
tried  a  thousand  times  with  fatal  results,  and  the  victims 
have  died  in  excruciating  agony,  when  a  few  handfuls 
of  flour  would  have  calmed  them  to  sleep,  and  rescued 
them  from  pain  and  death.  Humanity  should  prompt 
the  profession  to  publish  and  republish  the  facts  on  this 
subject,  which  are  established  by  the  authority  of  stand- 
ard medical  works  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic.  Flour 
is  the  remedy,  and  the  only  one,  in  severe  cases  of 
scalding  and  burning  casualities,  which  else  so  often 
destroy  life.     Let  us  keep  it  before  the   people,  while 


260  WOUXDS,   ACCTDEXTS,   ETC. 

the  explosion  of  steam-boilers  and  burning-fluid  lamps 
are  so  rife  all  over  our  country. 

A  recent  number  of  the  '■'■Scientific  American,^''  says, 
the  white  of  an  egg  has  proved  the  most  efficacious  re- 
medy for  burns.  It  should  be  applied  at  once,  and  re- 
newed every  half  hour.  Seven  or  eight  successive  ap- 
plications of  this  substance  soothe  the  pain  and  exclude 
the  burned  parts  from  the  air. 


SPEAINS. 

In  a  recent  sprain,  the  first  object  is  to  prevent  in 
flammation.  This  is  best  done  by  cold  lotions,  such  as 
are  composed  of  three  parts  of  water,  one  part  of  spirits 
of  wine,  and  one  part  of  laudanum.  The  part  also 
should  be  supported  with  a  moderately  tight  bandage, 
and  perfect  rest  allowed  to  the  limb,  if  possible ;  but,  if 
the  part  be  inflamed,  then  the  bandage  must  be  with- 
drawn, and  in  place  of  a  cold  lotion  mentioned  above, 
warm  water  should  be  used.  It  is  always  proper  to 
apply  leeches,  and,  in  this  case,  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  apply  too  many. 


BOILS. 


^^ 


ERY  frequently  these  tumors  or 
protuberances  appear  on  the  back 
vX   part   of   the   body,    or   near   the 
. '^^v;   shoulder-blades ;  sometimes  they 
are  found  on  the  nape  of  the  neck 
or  on  the  elbows,  and  nearly  the 
size  of  an  egg.     They  are,  gene- 
rally speaking,  the  efforts  of  na- 
ture to  rid  herself  of  the  impurities  of  the  system.    Boils 
are  most  frequent  when  the  health  is  impaired  and  the 
appetite  poor. 

Many  persons  have  strongly  recommended,  when  boils 
have  appeared,  strong  doses  of  salts,  as  they  say,  to 
cleanse  the  blood ;"  but  nothing  can  be  worse  ;  the  treat- 
ment demanded  is  of  the  opposite  character.  If  the  boil 
is  very  painful,  it  should  be  held  over  the  steam  of  bitter 
herbs,  and  a  poultice  should  be  applied,  made  of  equal 
parts  of  the  flour  of  slippery  elm  and  flax-seed,  simmered 
in  water,  or,  if  easily  obtained,  milk.  If  these  things 
are  not  at  hand,  roast  an  onion,  and  apply  it  as  a  poul- 
tice, or  a  poultice  of  warm  bread  and  milk  may  be  ap- 
plied.    Any  of  these  poultices  must  be  often  renewed. 

(261) 


202  WOUNDS,   ACCIDENTS,   ETC. 

If  the  pain  be  still  great,  a  tea-spoonful  of  laudanum 
may  be  laid  on  either  of  the  poultices  used.  Some  good 
physicians  have  recommended  about  ten  grains  of  calo- 
mel to  be  given  every  second  evening,  followed  in  the 
morning  by  a  dose  of  rhubarb,  till  the  bowels  evacuate 
green  or  dark  bile. 

The  system,  once  thoroughly  cleansed,  must  be  sus- 
tained by  a  generous  diet,  and  by  a  pretty  liberal  use 
of  bark  and  wine;  sea-bathing  will  be  useful.  If  the 
patient  be  of  robust  and  gross  habits,  it  will  tend  to 
preserve  him  from  the  return  of  the  disease,  frequently 
to  take  equal  parts  of  sulphur  and  cream  of  tartar :  a 
tea-spoonful  two  or  three  times  a  day. 


BEUISES. 

Bruises  are  often  of  more  consequence  than  even 
wounds,  and  must  not,  on  any  account,  be  neglected. 
They  are  caused  by  falls,  or  by  the  stroke  of  a  blunt 
instrument  against  any  part  of  the  body,  the  skin  re- 
maining unbroken,  and  black  or  blue  spots  appearing 
on  the  part  affected. 

If  the  bruise  be  but  slight,  it  will  be  sufficient  to  bathe 
the  part  with  warm  vinegar,  to  which  a  little  brandy  or 
rum  may  be  added,  and  to  keep  wet  cloths  dipped  iu 


WOUNDS,   ACCIDENTS,   ETC.  263 

this  preparation  for  several  hours.  Some  of  the  country 
people  apply  to  a  recent  bruise  a  little  cow-dung,  and  we 
have  seldom  known  this  to  fail  in  its  design.  Others  have 
constantly  by  them  a  small  bottle  of  preparation,  always 
ready  for  use,  composed  of  half  an  ounce  of  each  of  spirits 
of  camphor,  olive  oil,  and  laudanum ;  an  application  of 
this  should  be  frequently  renewed  till  the  part  is  no 
longer  discolored.  In  very  bad  cases,  a  few  leeches  may 
be  applied  with  great  advantage. 

The   food  must  be  light,  the  bowels  should  be  kept 
gently  open,  and  the  patient  kept  quiet. 


BROKEN  BONES  AND  DISLOCATIONS. 

These  require  no  description,  and  certainly  should 
meet  with  no  tampering.  It  would  be  very  easy  to  de- 
scribe the  various  shapes  which  these  evils  assume,  and 
to  show  in  what  manner  they  should  be  treated ;  but 
to  furnish  the  skill  which  the  several  operations  de- 
mand is  altogether  a  different  matter;  and,  therefore, 
after  careful  thought  on  the  subject,  we  feel  it  to  be  the 
safest  method  to  say,  in  all  such  cases,  send  at  once  for 
the  most  skillful  surgeon  who  can  be  found.  We  are 
aware  that  in  almost  every  country  village  there  are 
those  who  pretend  to  great  skill  in  such  cases ;  and  we 


264:  WO  UN  PS,    ACCIDENTS,    ETC. 

cheerfully  acknowledge  that  many  of  them  have  been 
very  successful :  but  we  still  say,  obtain  the  best  skill 
which  can  be  had. 

In  the  mean  time,  keep  the  patient  perfectly  quiet, 
place  him  on  a  low  diet,  and  lose  no  time  in  obtaining 
the  treatment  which  the  case  may  demand. 


FALLS. 


Great  presence  of  mind  is  requisite  on  the  part  of  by- 
standers when  accidents  occur  by  falls,  as  they  may  or 
may  not  be  dangerous.  We  have  seen  cases  where  death 
has  been  considered  certain,  but  where  really  there  was 
no  danger.  The  breath  may  be  very  suddenly  stopped, 
though  the  patient,  by  proper  care,  may  be  soon  re- 
stored. In  such  a  case,  let  the  patient  be  at  once  placed 
in  an  easy  posture,  and  the  air  freely  admitted  or  fanned 
into  his  face.  If  the  breath  does  not  return,  fill  the 
lungs  as  we  have  recommended  in  the  case  of  drowning, 
and  as  soon  as  possible  give  a  gentle  cordial,  such  as 
hartshorn,  lavender,  ether,  etc.  If  the  fall  arises  only 
from  fainting,  sprinkle  a  little  water  in  the  face,  and 
apply  hartshorn  to  the  nose  and  temples. 


LOCKED  JAW. 

0  named    from  a  Greek  word 

which   moans   to  stretch.     The 

\       disease  itself  may  be  described 

as  consisting  in   spasms  with 


rigidity,  being  a  contraction  of 
all  the  muscles  of  the  body, 
while  the  patient  remains  perfectly  in  his  senses.  It  is 
usually  a  consequence  of  stabs  or  wounds;  it  has  been 
induced  even  by  the  slightest  puncture  of  a  needle,  and 
has  sometimes  sprung  from  no  apparent  cause  at  all. 
It  is  found  most  frequently  in  warm  climates  near  the 
sea,  among  the  vigorous  and  most  robust  in  middle  life, 
and  is  more  common  among  men  than  women.  It 
usually  begins  with  a  numb  stiffness  of  the  head  and 
neck,  the  tongue  becomes  difficult  to  move,  and  the  swal- 
lowing painful ;  there  is  a  tightness  across  the  breast,  and 
sometimes  pain  in  the  back ;  at  length  the  jaws  become 
stiff,  and  the  teeth  firmly  clenched.  No  disease  is  more 
difficult  to  cure,  and  very  few  have  met  with  so  many 
kinds  of  treatment.  If  it  does  not  yield  within  a  few 
days,  it  must  be  fatal ;  and  in  all  cases  recovery  is  slow. 
If  the  disease  has  originated  from  a  wound,  special 
23  (265) 


266  WOUNDS,  ACCIDENTS,  ETC. 

attention  should  be  directed  to  the  part  affected.  Make 
a  strong  ley  of  wood  ashes,  and  bathe  the  wounded  part 
very  frequently,  or  keep  to  it  a  constant  application  of  hot 
flannels  wetted  in  the  ley.  This  simple  remedy  has  ac- 
complished wonders.  An  eminent  physician  has  pre- 
ferred that  the  parts  affected  should  be  steamed  with  the 
decoction  of  bitter  herbs  before  the  use  of  the  ley,  which 
never  ought  to  be  used  for  less  than  an  hour  at  a  time. 
When  this  has  been  done  a  few  times,  apply  a  poultice 
of  slippery  elm  stirred  in  the  ley,  and  frequently  renew 
it.  A  hot  vapor  bath  may  be  used  with  advantage; 
catnip  tea  should  be  drank,  and  the  best  physician  in 
the  district  should  be  called  in,  who  may  probably  ad- 
minister opium,  or  hot  stimulants,  or  glysters  of  tobacco. 


EECOYEEY   OF  THE  DEOWNED. 

In  the  event  of  a  person  being  snatched  from  the 
water  where  there  is  the  slightest  hope  of  recovery, 
action  should  be  prompt  but  without  hurry  of  mind  ;  do 
not  suppose,  as  too  many  have  done,  that  if  you  can 
ascertain  no  motion  of  the  heart,  there  is  no  hope.  Dr. 
Marshall  Hall,  one  of  the  most  eminent  physicians  of 
London,  gives  advice  in  these  cases  under  four  heads  : — 

I.  Preparatory  Proceedings. — Treat  the  patient  instantly, 


WOUNDS,    ACCIDENTS,   ETC.  267 

on  the  spot,  in  the  open  air,  except  in  severe  weather, 
freely  exposing  the  face,  neck,  and  chest,  to  the  breeze. 

Send  with  all  speed  for  medical  aid,  and  for  articles 
of  clothing,  blankets,  etc. 

Place  the  patient  gently  on  the  face,  and  with  one  arm 
under  the  forehead,  so  that  any  fluids  may  flow  from  the 
throat  and  mouth  ;  and,  without  loss  of  time, — 

II.  To  Excite  Respiration — Turn  the  patient  on  his 
side,  and  apply  snuff  or  other  irritants  to  the  nostrils. 
Dash  cold  water  on  the  face,  previously  rubbed  briskly 
until  it  is  warm.  If  there  be  no  success,  again  lose  no 
time;  but, — 

III.  To  Initiate  Respiration — Eeplace  the  patient  on  his 
face,  when  the  tongue  will  fall  forward,  and  leave  en- 
trance into  the  wind-pipe  free ;  then  turn  the  body 
gently,  but  completely,  on  the  side  and  a  little  beyond, 
(when  inspiration  will  occur,)  and  then  on  the  face, 
making  gentle  pressure  along  the  back,  (when  expiration 
will  take  place,)  alternately ;  these  measures  must  be  re- 
peated deliberately,  efficiently,  and  perseveringly,  fifteen 
times  in  the  minute,  only ;  meanwhile, — 

IV.  To  Induce  Circulation  and  Warmth — Eub  the  limbs 
upward,  with  firm  pressure  and  with  energy,  using  hand- 
kerchiefs, etc.,  for  towels.  Eeplace  the  patient's  wet 
clothing  by  such  covering  as  can  be  instantly  procured, 
each  bystander  supplying  a  coat,  vest,  etc. 

These   rules  are  founded  on  physiology;   and  while 


268  WOUNDS,   ACCIDENTS,   ETC. 

they  comprise  all  that  can  be  immediately  done  for  the 
patient,  exclude  all  apparatus,  galvanism,  the  warm  bath, 
etc.,  as  useless,  not  to  say  injurious,  especially  the  last 
of  these ;  and  regard  all  loss  of  time  in  removal,  etc.,  as 
fatal. 


EECOVERY  OF  PERSONS  STRUCK  BY 
LIGHTNING. 

Dangerous  as  this  infliction  is.  Dr.  Merriam  very  pro- 
perly says  that  those  who  are  thus  struck  should  not  be 
given  up  as  dead  for  at  least  three  hours.  During  the 
first  two  hours  they  should  be  drenched  freely  with  cold 
water,  and  if  this  fails  to  produce  restoration,  then  add 
salt,  and  continue  the  drenching  for  another  hour. 


CHOKING. 

This  stoppage  of  substances  in  the  throat  is  too  well 
known  to  need  description;  but  however  common,  this 
dangerous  accident  is  almost  always  the  result  of  care- 
lessness. Every  child  should  be  taught  to  chew  its  food 
well,  and  to  put  nothing  into  its  mouth  which  it  would 


WOUNDS,   ACCIDENTS,   ETC.  269 

be  dangerous  for  it  to  swallow.  And  if  carefulness 
should  be  impressed  on  the  minds  of  children,  what 
ought  to  be  the  conduct  of  those  persons  who  have 
formed  the  habit  of  putting  pins,  nails,  or  other  sharp 
substances  in  their  mouths  and  keeping  them  there  ? 
A  sudden  cough,  or  a  thousand  other  things,  may  lead 
in  such  cases  to  immediate  death. 

If  the  patient  be  a  child,  let  it  at  once  be  placed  on 
the  lap  of  the  mother  or  nurse,  with  its  head  turned 
downward,  and  its  back  be  gently  struck  a  few  times 
between  the  shoulders ;  if  this  plan  does  not  succeed,  let 
the  mother,  if  it  can  be  seen,  try  to  remove  the  substance 
with  her  finger ;  if  this  does  not  succeed,  it  may  be  that 
the  vomiting  thus  induced  may  bring  it  up.  Presence 
of  mind  and  entire  freedom  from  fear  is  essential  to 
success.  No  apparatus  should  be  used  in  the  case  ex- 
cept by  an  experienced  surgeon. 

If  these  methods  prove  unsuccessful,  and  surgical  aid 
is  not  at  hand,  administer  an  emetic,  such  as  a  tea- 
spoonful  or  two  of  flour  of  mustard  ;  or,  by  means  of  a 
warm  and  oiled  wax  candle,  or  a  piece  of  whalebone,  or 
flexible  iron  with  a  little  sponge  tied  to  it,  push  the 
substance  down  the  throat.  After  the  accident,  avoid 
hot  drinks,  and  take  only  milk  and  water,  or  whey. 
23* 


INVERSION  OF  A  TOE-NAIL. 


T  may  appear  to  some  of  small 
moment  that  the  nail  of  a  toe, 
growing  into  the  flesh,  usually 
occasioned  by  a  tight  shoe,  may 
exist;  but  we  have  known  this 
slight  matter  produce  severe 
pain,  mortification,  and  death. 
"We  have  known  men  in  the  vigor  of  life,  utterly  incapa- 
citated from  walking ;  the  nail  has  become  imbedded  in 
the  flesh,  violent  spasms  have  followed,  the  system  has 
sunk,  and  death  has  ended  the  scene. 

When  this  disease  exists,  let  the  patient  at  once  rest, 
and  bathe  the  foot  well  in  a  tepid  bath  into  which  wood- 
ashes  have  been  infused  ;  then  let  him  apply  a  slippery 
elm  poultice  to  lessen  the  inflammation ;  and  when  the 
parts  have  been  well  softened,  press  a  little  soft  lint  be- 
tween the  toe  and  the  flesh,  until  the  nail  is  brought  on 
a  level  with  its  neighboring  parts.  When  this  has  been 
done  a  few  times,  each  time  raising  it  a  little  higher,  the 
superfluous  portion  may  be  removed  by  a  pen-knife, 
taking  away  a  little  at  a  time. 
(270) 


SUN-STEOKE. 

FEW  green  leaves  worn  inside  of 
the  hat  or  bonnet  will  secure  per- 
sons against  all  danger  from  sun- 
stroke. A  gentleman  who  tried 
the  experiment  during  a  hot  day, 
found  that  his  head  became  far 
less  heated  than  usual,  when  protected  by  two  or  three 
grape  leaves.  Those  who  are  exposed  to  the  scorching 
rays  of  the  sua,  should  try  this  method  of  protecting 
themselves. 

But  in  the  unhappy  event  of  a  sun-stroke,  give  the 
sufferer  stimulants  of  brandy  or  ammonia,  or  the  two 
together,  till  he  revives — apply  mustard  poultices  freely 
to  his  chest,  abdomen,  and  extremities,  keeping  his  head 
well  bathed  with  an  abundance  of  cold  water. 


ACCIDENTS  FROM  TAKING    POISONS. 

Two  or  three  facts  relating  to  poisons  in  general  ought 
to  be  better  known  than  they  are,  with  a  view  of  induc- 
ing greater  caution  on  the  subject. 

(271) 


272  WOUNDS,   ACCIDENTS,   ETC. 

The  most  powerful  known  poison  is  prussic  acirl, 
formed  from  iodine,  cyanuret,  and  mercurj.  A  single 
drop  put  on  the  tongue  of  a  large  dog,  kills  it  instantly. 

Many  things  have  hitherto  been  regarded  as  innocent, 
if  not  useful,  which,  however,  are  assuredly  poisonous. 
In  the  United  States,  physicians  have  estimated  that 
twenty  thousand  persons  die  every  year  from  the  use  of 
tobacco.  In  Germany,  the  physicians  have  calculated 
that,  of  all  the  deaths  which  occur  between  the  ages  of 
eighteen  and  thirty-five,  one  half  originate  in  the  wasto 
of  the  constitution  by  smoking.  They  say  that  the 
article  exhausts  and  deranges  the  nervous  powers,  and 
produces  a  long  train  of  nervous  diseases  to  which  the 
stomach  is  liable,  and  especially  those  forms  that  go 
under  the  name  of  dyspepsia.  It  also  exerts  a  disastrous 
influence  upon  the  mind.  Nor  can  this  be  wondered  at, 
when  the  reader  is  reminded  that  a  single  drop  of  the 
essential  oil  of  tobacco  will  poison  a  horse. 

Abstinence  from  so-called  liquors  has  become  a  ne- 
cessity with  those  who  desire  to  live  and  enjoy  health. 
The  social  cup  is,  indeed,  a  poisonous  cup  in  these  days. 
Witb  strychnine  in  the  whiskey,  and  drugs  and  vitriol 
in  the  brandy,  to  give  it  "  body,"  "  flavor,"  and  "  color- 
ing," the  man  who  drinks  much  of  either  must  be  "  made 
of  oak,  and  copper  fastened,"  to  stand  it  long. 

No  one  need  to  be  told  that  whenever  poison  has  been 
received  into  the  stomach,  it  must  be  instantly  ejected, 


WOUNDS,   ACCIDENTS,   ETC.  273 

or  it  will  prove  fatal.  If  a  surgeon  is  at  hand,  he  should, 
without  the  loss  of  a  moment,  apply  the  stomach-pump ; 
but  if  his  services  cannot  be  at  once  obtained,  give  the 
patient  two  table-spoonsful  of  common  flour  of  mustard 
dissolved  in  warm  water,  and  it  will  soon  act  as  an 
emetic ;  or  give  a  powerful  emetic  of  any  other  kind. 

Dr.  Shaw,  of  Texas,  states  that  he  has  found  sweet  oil, 
drank  freely,  a  successful  antidote  to  strychnine  in  two 
cases.  The  oil  is  to  be  poured  down  without  any  refer- 
ence to  the  patient's  vomiting.  Professor  Eochester  has 
reported  two  cases  of  poisoning  by  the  same  terrible 
drug,  successfully  treated  by  a  free  use  of  camphor  in- 
ternally and  mustard  poultices  outside. 


BITES  AND  STINGS  OF  ANIMALS. 

Every  one  knows  that  many  animals  eject  poisons 
which  soon  destroy  man ;  and  the  importance  of  being 
prepared  with  remedies  against  these  dangers  must  be 
seen  at  a  glance.  We  have  already  treated  of  hydro- 
phobia, and  will  now  refer  to  some  other  calamities 
arising  from  much  smaller  animals. 

Bites  from  the  Rattlesnake  or  from  the  Red  Adder  are 
dangerous.  The  usual  symptoms  are  nausea,  a  full  and 
agitated  pulse,  swelling  of  the  body,  and  suffusion  of  the 

R 


274 


WOUNDS,   ACCIDENTS,    ETC. 


eyes  with  blood ;  sometimes  blood  oozes  from  the  pores 
iu  perspiration,  and  at  other  times  finds  a  vent  from  the 
nose,  eyes,  and  ears.  Not  unfrequently  the  teeth  chatter, 
and  half-uttered  groans  distress  the  patient  and  his 
friends. 

The  treatment  of  dis- 
ease in  this  form  should 
be  prompt.  If  a  sur- 
geon can  be  obtained, 
he  will  cut  or  burn  the 
wound,  or  will  use  the 
cup  vigorously,  and  ap- 
ply caustic  twice  a  day. 
A  poultice  of  quick- 
lime, with  oil  and  hon- 
ey, has  been  used  with 
great  advantage ;  but 
best  of  all,  is  the  appli- 
cation of  the  Plantain. 
Make  a  strong  decoc- 
PLAiTTAiw.  tion  of  this  common  and 

well-known  plant,  and 
well  bathe  the  wound  with  it ;  keep  it  wet  also  with  salt 
and  water.  After  this,  mix  the  decoction  of  the  plan- 
tain with  the  slippery  elm  bark  and  a  good  quantity  of 
sweet  oil ;  apply  this  constantly  as  long  as  there  is  any 
swelling  or  inflammation.     An  ounce  of  olive  oil  should 


WOUNDS,   ACCIDENTS,   ETC.  275 

be  taken  daily  in  two  doses  Gunpowder  fired  over  the 
wound  has  been  recommended. 

Bite  from  a  Viper.  In  addition  to  most  of  the  symp- 
toms we  have  last  mentioned,  there  will  in  this  case  be 
a  fixed  pain  in  the  breast,  frequent  convulsions,  and  a 
yellow  tinge  of  the  skin. 

The  treatment  should  be  as  we  have  already  pre- 
scribed ;  in  addition  to  which  ten  drops  of  the  spirits  of 
hartshorn  in  a  little  water  may  be  taken  every  hour,  and 
frequent  small  doses  of  opium,  musk,  and  camphor. 

Bite  of  a  Spider.  Trifling  as  this  may  appear,  it  has 
been  known  that  a  pain  has  arisen  from  it  which  has 
affected  the  heart.  In  such  a  case  a  quantity  of  plan- 
tain should  be  bruised,  and  the  juice  swallowed.  This 
has  often  stopped  the  progress  of  the  poison. 

The  Bee-sting.  The  pain  of  a  bee-sting  may  be  at  once 
relieved  and  the  subsequent  swelling  prevented,  by  wet- 
ting the  part  with  spirits  of  hartshorn.  The  sting  is 
hollow,  and  there  is  a  little  drop  of  poison  at  its  root 
that  is  driven  through  it  by  the  pressure  of  its  insertion, 
and  deposited  in  the  wound.  The  poison  is  said  to  be 
of  an  acid  nature,  and  to  be  destroyed  by  this  volatile 
alkali. 


DISEASES    OF    WOMEN. 

EFLECTION  for  a  moment  will 
convince  any  thoughtful  mind  that 
from  the  peculiar  conformation  of 
"^  ""^^^^^SW^^^  woman,  she  must  more  keenly  feel 
"  "  "'"  "'  ""  disease  and  pain  than  man,  and  be 
far  more  liable  to  them.  In  every 
respect  there  is  more  of  delicacy  and  feebleness ;  yet, 
owing  to  the  superabundance  of  the  animal  spirits  in 
many  women,  and  their  disposition  to  please  those 
around  them,  every  attempt  is  made  to  throw  off  the 
appearance  of  suffering.  To  a  certain  extent  this  is 
wise,  for  very  much  in  female  diseases  depends  on  a 
strong  will ;  but  it  may  be  easily  carried  to  an  extreme, 
and  the  reader  should  therefore  exercise  great  prudence 
alike  in  the  concealment  of  slight  disease,  and  in  a 
timely  yielding  to  it. 

It  will  not  be  supposed  that  in  the  comparatively  few 
pages  we  can  here  devote  to  the  subject  of  female  dis- 
eases, we  can  do  no  more  than  give  general  information 
(276) 


DISEASES   OF  WOMEN.  277 

and  prescribe  for  the  principal  maladies  which  women 
suffer.  Nearly  the  whole  of  our  work  may  be  studied 
with  reference  to  their  advantage.  After  two  or  three 
general  counsels,  we  shall  proceed  to  the  specific  diseases 
of  females,  strongly  recommending  our  lady  readers 
carefully  to  study  their  own  frames,  and  by  careful  ob- 
servation and  thought,  to  ascertain  for  themselves  what 
may  contribute  to  their  health. 

We  have  already  said  in  this  volume  that  cheerful- 
ness is  essential  to  good  health ;  and  the  remark  is  es- 
pecially applicable  to  the  female  sex.  Dr.  Eay,  superin- 
tendent of  the  Butler  Hospital  for  the  Insane,  says  :  "A 
hearty  laugh  is  more  desirable  for  mental  health  than 
any  exercise  of  the  reasoning  faculties." 

Years  ago  it  was  fully  ascertained  that  the  lives  of 
the  body  of  the  people  called  Friends  were  reckoned  at 
insurance-offices  of  much  greater  value  than  those  of 
any  other  class  of  persons,  arising  from  the  great  care 
taken  in  their  education  to  preserve  the  equanimity  of 
their  minds.  Earely  indeed,  in  early  life,  did  we  ever 
see  a  Quaker  friend  excited.  Where  the  feelings  have 
been  properly  trained,  even  sudden  surprise  will  not 
agitate  the  mind  or  body  as  in  the  untutored  or  untaught 
young  lady.  It  is  curious  to  observe  how  in  general 
bad  news  weakens  the  action  of  the  heart,  oppresses  the 
lungs,  destroys  the  appetite,  stops  digestion,  and  par- 
tially suspends  all  the  functions  of  the  system.  An 
24 


278  DISEASES   OF   WOMEN. 

emotion  of  shame  flushes  the  face ;  fear  blanches  it ;  joy 
illuminates  it;  and  an  instant  thrill  electrifies  a  million 
nerves.  Surprise  spurs  the  pulse  into  a  gallop ;  deli- 
rium infuses  great  energy ;  volition  commands,  and  hun- 
dreds of  muscles  spring  to  execute.  Powerful  emotion 
often  kills  the  body  at  a  stroke.  Chilo,  Diagoras,  and 
Sophocles  died  of  joy  at  the  Grecian  games.  The  door- 
keeper of  Congress  expired  upon  hearing  of  the  surrender 
of  Cornwallis. 

We  may,  in  passing,  again  remind  our  lady  readers 
of  the  importance  of  fresh  air,  and  especially  of  the  ne- 
cessity of  well- ventilated  bed-rooms.  It  has  been  said 
that  a  bird  suspended  near  the  top  of  a  curtained  bed- 
stead in  which  people  are  sleeping,  will  generally  be 
found  dead  in  the  morning  from  the  impure  air  generated 
by  their  respiration.  Small,  close  sleeping-rooms  are 
often  as  dangerous  as  the  curtained  bedstead. 

In  this  connection,  we  have  often  been  struck  with 
the  small  and  confined  bed-rooms  furnished  at  our 
watering-places,  often  counteracting  whatever  of  benefit 
may  be  derived  from  change  of  air,  or  the  waves  of  the 
ocean. 

We  place  the  subject  of  tight-  lacing  in  this  department, 
because,  though  it  annually  leads,  in  thousands  of  in- 
stances, to  the  most  dangerous  and  even  fatal  diseases, 
it  is  not  in  itself  a  disease.  It  is  the  offspring  of  great 
folly  and  sin ;  it  produces  no  possible  benefit ;  destroys 


DISEASES  OF  WOMEN.  279 

alike  beauty  and  health  ;  opposes  all  the  proportions  of 
nature,  lessens  comfort,  and  carries  those  who  practice  it 
rapidly  on  to  the  grave.  And  yet,  strange  to  say,  it  is 
a  matter  of  doubt  who  is  the  most  guilty  of  this  impro- 
priety,— the  mother  or  the  daughter.  We  are  afraid, 
too,  that  in  defiance  of  all  we  can  say,  young  men  will 
continue  to  marry  wives  who  will  always  wear  corsets 
and  injure  their  health  throughout  life;  and  young  ladies 
will  indulge  in  a  practice  which  impairs  the  nervous 
system,  obstructs  the  circulation,  contributes  to  fill  our 
madhouses,  induces  pulmonary  diseases,  and  leads  to  a 
premature  grave  I  Young  ladies,  there  is  no  cure  here 
but  the  total  and  entire  abandonment  of  the  corset. 
Leave  it  off  an  hour  a  day  for  a  week,  then  two,  then 
three ;  rub  the  body  well  with  a  wet,  coarse  towel  while 
the  muscles  regain  their  strength,  taking  care  every  day 
to  make  it  slacker  than  ever  before ;  and  in  six  months 
you  may  expect  to  be  healthy,  rosy,  and  showing  forth 
the  beauty  of  nature. 


MENSTRUATION. 

Phis  is  one  of  the  earliest  and  most  important  matters 
specially  claiming  the  attention  of  young  girls,  and  on 
which  they  should  ask  the  advice  of  their  mothers  or 


280  DISEASES   OF  WOMEN. 

judicious  female  friends.  Menstruation  means  the  dis- 
charge of  a  bloody  fluid,  which  takes  place  every  month, 
from  the  womb  of  a  healthy  adult  female.  It  com- 
mences at  the  average  age  of  fifteen  years,  though  it  has 
appeared  in  a  few  cases  as  early  as  nine,  and  has  been 
delayed  as  late  as  twenty,  being  earliest  in  the  hottest 
climates;  the  flow  continues  from  two  to  eight  days,  and 
the  quantity  discharged  varies  from  four  to  ten  ounces 
in  different  persons:  women  of  delicate  constitutions 
discharging  more  than  those  who  are  robust. 

In  a  perfectly  healthy  person  this  discharge  is  thrown 
off  without  suffering ;  but  in  the  present  artificial  state 
of  living,  this  is  seldom  the  case.  Usually,  for  some 
days  previous  to  its  appearance,  the  girl  has  a  pain  in 
her  head,  and  general  languor  and  indisposition  to  exer- 
cise ;  she  complains  also  of  pain  in  the  back,  loins,  and 
thighs,  and  sometimes  in  the  throat ;  has  a  dark  shade 
over  the  countenance,  and  especially  under  the  eyes ; 
the  breasts  are  somewhat  enlarged;  indigestion  is  im- 
paired, and  the  appetite  is  variable.  For  the  first  two 
or  three  times  of  its  appearance,  the  discharge  is  apt  to 
be  somewhat  irregular,  both  as  to  its  quantity  and  the 
time  of  its  return ;  but  after  these,  it  becomes  regular  in 
about  every  twenty-eight  days,  and  the  same  quantity 
should  be  lost  at  each  visitation.  It  is  important,  how- 
ever, to  observe  that  every  discharge  from  the  womb 
which  is  tinged  with  blood,  is    not  menstrual.      If  it 


DISEASES   OF   WOirEN.  281 

appear  in  clots,  it  is  only  hemorrhage,  the  menses  being 
like  perspiration,  always  in  a  fluid  state,  and  have  a  very 
different  smell  from  common  blood. 

About  the  first  appearance  of  this  discharge,  the  girl's 
constitution  undergoes  a  very  considerable  change, 
usually  for  the  better,  though  sometimes  for  the  worse. 
Extreme  care  at  this  season  is  necessary,  or  the  health 
suffers,  barrenness  ensues,  and  perhaps  death  follows. 
Great  caution  should  be  used  as  to  food,  clothing,  and 
exercise.  Whatever  tends  to  check  this  natural  flow  is 
suicidal.  Colds  caught  at  such  times  are  exceedingly 
dangerous. 

We  have  already  said  enough  to  show  the  reader  that 
any  irregularity  in  this  matter  should  be  as  soon  as 
possible  corrected.  If,  by  any  means,  the  regular  flow 
of  the  menses  have  been  checked,  and  if  the  patient 
would  avoid  an  early  death  by  consumption,  let  her  use 
the  tepid  foot-bath,  and  at  the  same  time  sit  over  a 
vessel  of  warm  water,  in  which  bitter  herbs  have  been 
boiled,  till  she  is  in  a  profuse  perspiration  ;  then  let  her 
be  warmly  wrapped  in  bed,  and  take  a  tea-cupful  of 
warm  tea  made  of  the  root  of  vervine,  every  hour  or 
two.  If  this  does  not  succeed,  administer  a  little  pul- 
verized mandrake  root  with  a  little  cream  of  tartar,  on 
an  empty  stomach ;  after  which  motherwort,  penny- 
royal, and  other  herb  teas  may  be  freely  drank.  Should 
considerable  pain  be  felt  by  the  patient,  let  fomentations 
24* 


282  DISEASES  OF  WOMEN. 

of  bitter  herbs  be  applied  to  the  region  of  the  womb,  or 
a  covered  heated  brick  may  be  placed  on  the  bowels. 
Great  care  should  be  taken  that  the  food  be  light  and 
nutritious,  and  it  should  not  be  taken  in  large  quan- 
tities. 

Not  unfrequently  do  women  suffer  from  the  opposite 
of  this — an  excessive  flow  of  the  menses.  This  may 
arise  from  too  much  exercise  or  too  little,  strains,  in- 
juries, violent  passion,  taking  warm  and  enervating 
drinks,  such  as  tea,  coffee,  etc.  If  the  disease  has  in- 
duced much  debility,  it  is  sometimes  accompanied,  es- 
pecially toward  evening,  with  dropsical  swellings.  In 
these  cases,  great  care  is  demanded.  The  patient  should 
assume  a  recumbent  posture,  with  the  hips  considerably 
elevated ;  she  should  be  exposed  to  a  cool  air,  and  cold 
applications  should  be  made  to  the  lower  parts  of  the 
abdomen,  such  as  cloths  wrung  out  of  cold  water,  or 
cold  vinegar,  and  a  very  abstemious  cool  diet  will  bo 
advisable.  From  thirty  to  forty  drops  of  the  elixir  of 
vitriol  may  be  taken  in  a  glass  of  water  two  or  three 
times  a  day  with  advantage ;  or,  from  ten  to  fifteen  drops 
of  the  tincture  of  steel  may  be  administered  with  the 
same  frequency.  We  need  not  say  that  in  cases  of  this 
kind  a  physician  should  be  consulted.  Where  this  help 
cannot  be  had,  an  Indian  remedy  for  the  disease  may  bo 
tried.  It  consists  of  equal  parts  of  red  alder  bark,  yar- 
row, mullen,  and  crowfoot,  and  half  the  quantity  of  beth 


DISEASES   OF   WOMEN.  283 

root ;  these  should  be  made  into  a  tea,  and  when  cold, 
a  tea-cupful  drank  every  three  or  four  hours.  If  the 
patient  feels  faint,  let  her  take  a  few  drops  of  lavender 
or  spirits  of  hartshorn,  occasionally,  in  a  little  cold 
water. 

We  must  not  omit  in  this  place  to  say  that  in  many 
instances  there  is  much  pain  attendant  on  menstruation, 
and  that  such  cases  must  not  be  neglected.  Nervous 
females  sometimes  suffer  so  acutely  from  spasms  in  the 
womb  and  stomach,  and  from  violent  pains  in  the  loins, 
that  the  brain  and  spinal  marrow  become  greatly  dis- 
ordered, so  as  to  produce  violent  hysterical  fits,  and 
even  convulsions.  Perhaps  this  occurs  most  frequently 
in  the  early  part  of  puberty,  or  when  women  marry  late 
in  life,  or  in  persons  of  a  scrofulous  habit.  Such  women 
should  be  particular  in  keeping  the  feet  warm,  should 
v/ear  flannel  next  the  skin,  and  should  avoid  all  green 
and  raw  vegetables,  as  well  as  stimulating  food  and 
drinks.  When  the  pains  are  very  violent,  bleeding 
may  sometimes  be  demanded,  followed  with  a  warm 
bath,  and  a  pill  of  opium  and  camphor.  By  all  means 
apply  bottles  of  hot  water  to  the  whole  surface  of  the 
abdomen,  and  hot  bricks  to  the  feet.  Dr.  Fothergill 
recommends  that  a  grain  of  opium  be  taken  in  the  form 
of  a  pill  whenever  the  pain  attending  the  discharge 
comes  on.  A  warm  bath  of  about  ninety  degrees  about 
three  times  a  week  will  be  found  of  advantage,  as  will 


284  DISEASES  OF   W^OMEN. 

also  change  of  air  and  scene,  a  good  share  of  exercise, 
and  a  light  and  nutritious  diet. 

The  final  cessation  of  the  menses  at  what  is  called  the 
turn  of  life,  or  the  approach  of  old  age,  is  a  season  de- 
manding special  attention.  The  discharge  seldom  ceases 
suddenly,  but  gradually  becomes  irregular,  both  as  to 
the  period  and  the  quantity.  The  constitution  again 
undergoes  a  great  change,  and  not  unfrequently  obsti- 
nate and  painful  diseases  then  set  in.  Occur  when  it 
may,  if  the  patient  be  of  full  habit,  the  diet  should  be 
more  spare  than  usual,  regular  exercise  should  be  taken, 
and  the  state  of  the  bowels  be  carefully  regarded.  If 
blood  flow  to  the  head,  or  giddiness  and  pain  be  felt, 
bleeding  may  be  advisable.  If  wounds  or  ulcers  break 
out  on  any  part  of  the  body  at  this  period,  great  care 
should  be  taken  not  to  heal  them  too  quickly,  or  the 
disease  of  some  internal  organ  may  be  thus  induced. 


THE  WHITES. 

This  disease  is  an  increased  secretion  or  discharge  of 
matter  from  the  womb  and  its  passage.  In  different 
■women  it  is  white,  or  of  a  green  or  yellow  hue,  and  is 
attended  with  a  peculiar  smell ;  it  frequently  occasions 
itchinga  or  smarting  pains,  and  is  generally  associated 


DISEASES  OF  WOMEN". 


285 


with  an  unhealthy  countenance,  a  disordered  stomach,  a 
dry,  hot  skin,  and  general  debility.  It  sometimes  arises 
from  exhaustion,  intemperance,  and  profuse  evacuations ; 
but  more  frequently  from  injuries  inflicted  on  the  parts 
themselves,  from  f  r  e- 
quent  miscarriages,  or 
from  difficult  labor. 
Late  hours,  hot  rooms, 
or  much  lying  in  bed 
will  bring  it  on;  and 
women  of  all  ages  are 
liable  to  it. 

In  the  treatment  of 
this  disease,  special  at- 
tention must  be  had  to 
whatever  increases  the 
general  health.  Care 
must  be  taken  in  the 
application  of  medicines, 
lest  a  too  sudden  stop- 
page of  the  discharge  comfeet. 
should  induce  other  dis- 
eases. We  would  strongly  recommend  that  a  handful 
of  the  roots  of  comfrey  be  boiled  in  milk,  and  the  decoc- 
tion given  in  doses  of  a  tea-cupful  three  or  four  times 
a  day.  Injections  of  alum  water,  or  of  a  decoction  of 
oak  bark,  have  been  very  useful.     A  preparation  of  one 


286  DISEASES  OF  WOMEN. 

ounce  of  the  tincture  of  aloes,  and  two  drachms  of  mu- 
riated  tincture  of  iron,  well  mixed,  and  forty  drops  of  it 
taken  three  times  a  day  in  a  little  water,  will  be  found 
of  great  advantage.  A  tea  of  beth  root  is  also  very 
good. 

Let  the  patient  be  careful  of  her  bowels,  avoid  strong 
tea  and  coffee,  take  the  country  air,  and  bathe  in  tbe 
sea  ;  or  as  a  substitute  use  a  warm  bath. 


DISEASES  OF  MARRIED  LIFE. 

It  is  a  fact  that  all  pleasures  have  their  corresponding 
pains.  The  state  of  marriage,  contributing  as  it  does  to 
the  happiness  of  the  parties  interested  in  it,  and  to  the 
welfare  of  society,  adds  greatly  also  to  the  sufferings  of 
woman,  and  ought,  therefore,  to  be  entered  upon  with 
great  thoughtfulness  and  caution.  It  is  no  part  of  our 
plan  to  discuss  the  age  at  which  this  union  should  be 
formed,  as  the  development  of  strength  and  form  depend 
on  many  things  greatly  differing  in  different  persons, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  strength  of  inclinations  and  the 
peculiar  circumstances  of  station  which  claim  to  have 
an  influence  in  the  decision  of  such  a  matter.  Suffice 
it  here  to  say,  that  while  too  early  marriages  are  not 
desirable,  we  are  inclined  to  think  that  where  a  reason- 


DISEASES   OF  WOMEN.  287 

able  portion  of  health  is  enjojed,  and  other  circumstances 
favor  it,  from  nineteen  to  twenty-one  is  the  most  desirable 
age  at  which  a  woman  should  enter  on  this  important 
relationship. 

There  are  certain  diseases,  or  rather  a  predisposition 
to  them,  transmitted  from  parent  to  child,  which  do  not 
always  manifest  themselves  for  many  years  after  birth, 
or  till  they  are  called  into  action  by  some  exciting 
cause,  which  should  induce  great  caution  in  the  view  of 
marriage.  Many,  with  hereditary  tendencies  to  disease, 
enjoy  comfortable  health,  not  suspecting  the  disease 
lurking  in  their  system,  waiting  for  some  exciting  cause 
to  hurry  them  rapidly  to  their  graves,  and  which  de- 
velops itself  as  the  result  of  their  ignorance  which  has 
lulled  them  into  fancied  security.  Every  young  lady, 
therefore,  of  an  enfeebled  constitution,  predisposed  to 
scrofula,  to  consumption,  to  cancer,  to  insanity,  to  epi- 
lepsy, to  convulsions,  or  to  any  similar  affections,  should 
consider  it  a  conscientious  duty  to  refrain  from  marriage, 
lest  she  should  be  the  means  of  bringing  into  the  world 
a  progeny  to  linger  out  a  few  years  in  pain  or  misery. 

We  must  add  here  another  paragraph ;  not  allowing 
undue  delicacy  to  conceal  what  might  possibly  destroy 
the  happiness  of  husband  and  wife,  and  add  to  the 
misery  of  the  world.  If  a  woman  be  conscious  of  a 
disease  in  or  about  the  regions  of  the  womb,  she  ought 
to  consider  such  a  fact  an  insuperable  barrier  to  her 


288  DISEASES   OF  WOMEN. 

marriage.  A  woman,  too,  who  is  deformed  in  body, 
may  purchase  the  title  of  a  wife  at  too  high  a  price,  by 
the  cost  of  torture,  and  perhaps  even  of  life,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  effects  which  such  deformity  may  have 
on  the  children  to  whom  she  might  give  birth.  In  a 
word,  for  a  woman  to  have  a  fair  prospect  of  happiness 
in  the  married  life,  her  body  should  have  attained  its 
full  development  and  vigor,  should  be  without  deformity, 
have  a  sound  constitution,  and  be  free  from  disease  or 
known  tendencies  to  it. 

Of  course,  pregnancy  in  itself  is  not  a  disease,  though 
often,  especially  where  there  is  neglect,  leading  to  it, 
and  it  demands,  therefore,  great  watchfulness  and  care, 
as  well  as  the  indulgence  of  hope  and  cheerfulness.  It 
is  no  uncommon  case  that  this  period  is  the  most 
healthy  of  a  woman's  life,  few  fatal  diseases  happen 
during  its  existence,  and  scarcely  any,  except  abortion, 
can  be  considered  dangerous. 

It  is  well  that  the  wife  should  know  that  when  she 
becomes  pregnant,  many  new  feelings  and  symptoms 
follow,  which  she  never  before  experienced.  There  will 
be  the  suppression  of  the  menses,  sickness  at  the  stom- 
ach, especially  in  the  morning,  headache,  giddiness, 
heartburn,  peculiar  longings,  and  indigestion ;  there 
will  be  an  enlargment  of  the  breasts,  frequent  shooting 
pains  in  them,  and  a  circle  round  the  nipples  of  a  dark 
brown  color ;  the  patient  often  feels  feverish,  debilitated, 


DISEASES   OF  WOMEN".  289 

and  irritable;  vomiting  will  sometimes  attend  such  a 
woman  for  days  or  weeks,  or  even  during  the  greater 
part  of  the  time  of  her  pregnancy;  and  a  considerable 
change  will  often  take  place  in  her  countenance,  every 
feature  of  it  being  very  much  sharpened.  Not  unfre- 
quently,  too,  there  will  be  frequent  inclination  to  void 
urine,  even  where  it  cannot  be  done;  frequent  itching 
will  be  felt  about  the  external  parts  of  generation ;  cos- 
tiveness  will  exist,  and  piles  will  be  painful. 

Two  other  remarks  here  are  of  importance.  The  first 
is,  that  the  symptoms  of  pregnancy  are  often  mistaken. 
It  is  sometimes  difficult  to  distinguish  between  this  state 
and  the  obstruction  of  the  menses  by  cold  or  other 
means ;  and  the  other  is,  that  were  women  to  renounce 
the  vagaries  of  fashion,  and  to  have  a  proper  regard  to 
exercise  and  diet,  they  would  suffer  comparatively  little 
from  child-bearing.  It  is  one  of  the  evils  attendant  on 
what  is  called  civilization,  that  the  wealthy  endure  far 
more  when  in  this  condition,  than  poor  women  devoted 
to  hard  labor. 

"We  should  be  ashamed  to  suppose  that  we  have  a 
reader  so  disposed  to  evil,  as  to  attempt  to  prevent  the 
proper  operations  of  nature  under  the  circumstances  in 
which  pregnancy  places  her;  or  who  from  indolence  and 
the  pursuits  of  fashion,  would  seek  to  procure  abortion. 
For  such  persons  we  have  no  prescriptions ;  they  are 
murderers  in  the  sight  of  God  and  man,  and  let  them, 
25  S 


290  DISEASES   OF  WOMEN. 

with  the  thousands  of  their  sisters  in  like  circumstances, 
die  the  death  to  which  their  choice  leads  them.  Such 
women  are  unfit  for  this  life ;  alas,  that  they  are  still  less 
prepared  for  a  better! 

For  the  sickness  of  the  stomach  which  is  so  usual  in 
pregnancy,  we  would  recommend  the  common  soda 
powders  to  be  obtained  at  the  druggists;  or  a  tea  may 
be  made  of  the  rose- willow  bark,  and  taken  at  pleasure. 
For  the  heart-burn,  the  same  remedies  are  often  found 
to  succeed ;  but  if  they  fail,  take  a  tea-spoonful  of  car- 
bonate of  magnesia  night  and  morning,  A  preparation 
of  a  tea-spoonful  of  bicarbonate  of  potash,  mixed  in  half 
a  pint  of  peppermint  or  spearmint  tea,  and  a  table- 
spoonful  taken  occasionally,  has  also  been  found  of  great 
advantage.  For  the  lethargy  and  headache  attendant 
on  pregnancy,  a  full  dose  of  aperient  medicine  should  be 
given  to  act  on  the  bowels,  a  warm  foot-bath  should  be 
used,  mustard  plasters  may  be  applied  to  the  feet,  and 
the  head  bathed  with  salt  and  water.  For  costiveness, 
piles,  hysterics,  palpitation  of  the  heart,  and  other  ail- 
ments, the  directions  given  in  other  parts  of  our  volume 
should  be  followed.  It  is  always  desirable,  where  it  can 
be  done,  to  gratify  the  peculiar  longings  of  pregnant 
women,  as  it  sometimes  prevents  a  miscarriage;  but 
whether  children  in  the  womb  have  been  marked  as  the 
result  of  disappointment  in  such  cases,  has  been  much 


DISEASES   OF   WOMEN.  29"! 

disputed,  tiiougb  we  confess  to  believe  that  such  is  some- 
times the  fact. 

There  are  other  diseases  attendant  on  pregnancy,  such 
as  hemorrhage,  convulsions,  and  certain  feelings  at 
quickening,  or  feeling  the  first  motions  of  the  child,  at 
the  end  of  about  sixteen  or  seventeen  weeks ;  but  as 
these  all  vary,  we  prefer  to  refer  the  patient  to  a  judi- 
cious mother  or  nurse,  or  a  skillful  physician. 

We  have  already  remarked,  that  in  many  cases  abor- 
tion, or  the  loss  of  the  child  during  the  months  of  preg- 
nancy, takes  place;  and  though  in  thousands  of  cases 
this  is  the  result  of  criminal  conduct,  in  many  others  it 
arises  from  natural  causes,  and  demands  our  greatest 
sympathy,  while  it  calls  for  the  utmost  skill  in  saving 
the  valuable  life  of  the  mother.  Miscarriages  are  fre- 
quently the  source  of  intense  sorrow,  as  well  as  of  dan- 
ger. They  may  happen  at  any  period  of  pregnancy,  but 
are  most  frequent  from  the  second  month  to  the  fourth ; 
sometimes,  indeed,  they  are  much  later.  The  most 
common  causes  are  the  death  of  the  child,  the  great 
weakness  of  the  mother,  extreme  evacuations,  jumping 
or  other  violent  exercise,  raising  great  weights,  excess 
of  blood,  violent  passions,  fevers,  or  high  or  very  low 
living. 

The  usual  signs  of  an  approaching  abortion  are  great 
pain  in  the  loins  or  lower  part  of  the  abdomen,  a  dull, 
heavy  pain  within  the  thighs,  palpitation  of  the  heart, 


202  DISEASES   OF  WOMEN. 

coldness  and  shivering,  and  sickness  at  the  stomach; 
the  breasts  generally  become  flat  and  soft ;  the  womb 
lowers  its  position,  and  discharges  blood  or  watery 
humor.  To  escape  these  evils,  women,  especially  of  a 
weak  habit,  should  take  solid  food,  and  driuk  but  little 
tea  and  other  watery  liquors ;  they  should  go  to  bed 
and  rise  early,  and  take  gentle  exercise  in  the  open  air, 
being  careful,  however,  to  avoid  fatigue.  On  the  other 
hand,  if  the  woman  be  of  a  full  habit,  let  her  diet  be 
spare,  let  her  avoid  strong  liquors;  and  a  loss  of  a  little 
blood  may  perhaps  be  desirable.  In  all  cases,  the  ex- 
pectant mother  should  be  kept  cheerful  in  mind,  and  her 
tastes,  as  far  as  may  be,  gratified. 

On  the  first  indications  of  abortion,  let  the  patient  be 
laid,  with  her  head  low,  on  a  mattrass;  let  her  spirits  be 
kept,  as  far  as  possible,  cheerful,  and  let  hopefulness  pre- 
vail ;  nothing  can  so  much  tend  to  her  recovery  as  this. 
The  heat  of  the  room  should  be  moderated,  and  nothing 
hot  in  food  or  drink  should  be  permitted.  Broth, 
rice,  milk,  jellies,  and  oat-meal  gruel,  may  be  taken  at 
the  pleasure  of  the  patient,  but  always  cold.  The  loss 
of  a  few  ounces  of  blood  from  the  arm,  under  good 
medical  direction,  is  often  of  advantage;  let  her  drinks 
be  barley  water  flavored  with  lemon  juice,  or  water 
gruel,  with  a  little  powdered  nitre  in  it.  If  the  bowels 
be  improperly  open,  the  decoction  of  calcined  harts- 
horn may  be  given  ;  opiates  should  only  be  given  under 


DISEASES   OF  WOMEN.  293 

medical  direction.  The  patient  should  be  especially 
careful  not  to  take  much  exercise  till  her  strength  will 
well  bear  it. 

The  falling  of  the  womb  is  a  frequent  disease  caused 
by  long-continued  diseases  and  profuse  discharges,  which 
have  diminished  the  strength  of  the  patient ;  or,  which 
is  a  more  general  cause,  the  long-continued,  erect  posture 
of  the  body  at  an  early  period  after  delivery,  and  in 
some  cases  after  miscarriage.  Women  often  complain 
that  their  physicians  compel  them  to  stay  in  their  beds 
too  long  after  childbirth ;  but  they  are  not  aware  of  the 
danger  in  which  they  are  probably  placed  at  such  a 
time. 

At  the  commencement  of  this  complaint  there  is  great 
pain  in  the  back  and  groin,  with  the  sensation  of  bear- 
ing down;  a  great  sense  of  fullness,  and  a  discharge 
of  matter  from  the  passage.  This  pain,  however,  is 
usually  relieved  by  lying  down.  There  is  frequent  pain- 
ful strainings  to  pass  urine,  and  considerable  uneasiness 
in  the  evacuation  of  the  bowels ;  the  appetite  is  often  ir- 
regular, and  is  frequently  lost ;  flatulency  takes  place, 
the  spirits  sink,  employment  is  irksome,  and  life  almost 
appears  a  burden.  In  some  cases,  the  womb  merely 
falls  into  tlie  cavity  of  the  passage,  and  in  others  pro- 
trudes beyond  the  external  parts ;  when,  from  exposure 
to  the  air  and  friction,  it  becomes  sore  and  inflamed. 

Every  one  must  see  that  the  care  of  an  experienced 
25* 


294  DISEASES   OF  WOMEN. 

practitioner  is  demanded  in  cases  of  this  kind.  The 
womb  must  be  restored  to  its  proper  position,  and  care- 
fully kept  there;  the  patient  should  remain  in  a  lying 
posture,  and  be  especially  careful  to  walk  very  little  for 
a  considerable  period.  Sea-bathing,  when  it  can  be  ob- 
tained, will  be  beneficial ;  astringent  injections,  as  a  so- 
lution of  alum  or  white  vitriol,  should  be  thrown  up  the 
passage  with  a  proper  syringe ;  a  bandage  ought  to  be 
applied  round  the  lower  part  of  the  abdomen,  both  to 
retain  the  womb  in  its  proper  position,  and  to  strengthen 
the  parts  which  have  been  made  weak.  In  the  event 
of  pregnancy,  this  complaint  disappears  in  the  fourth 
month,  at  least  till  after  delivery. 

The  bowels  should  be  kept  carefully  open  by  a  dose 
or  two  of  castor  oil ;  and  if  there  be  considerable  griping, 
from  five  to  ten  drops  of  laudanum  may  be  taken  two 
or  three  times  a  day  in  a  little  sugar  and  water ;  the  pa- 
tient should  renounce  all  soft  beds,  and  sleep  on  a  mat- 
tress or  sofa,  and  the  food  should  always  be  light  and 
nutritious. 

There  are  several  other  diseases  of  the  womb,  which 
however,  are  too  important  to  be  discussed  in  a  volume 
like  the  present,  and  demand  the  immediate  and  careful 
attention  of  the  physician. 


DISEASES  OF  CIlILD-BIllTH. 

^  0  one  will  expect  us  to  treat  of  tliis  sub- 
ject at  length;  for  happily  in  this  coun- 
f^f^  ^  try  help  is  always  at  hand  to 
meet  all  the  demands  of  hu- 
manity. Too  much  care  is 
the  danger,  rather  than  too 
little;  hence  poor  women  generally  recover  at  such 
periods  sooner  than  the  rich.  A  very  few  hints  only  are 
needed  to  guide  the  inexperienced. 

The  symptoms  of  approaching  labor  are  usually  de- 
cided. Restlessness,  especially  at  niglit,  usually  pre- 
cedes the  event  for  days  or  even  weeks ;  the  womb  and 
abdomen  often  subside;  a  mucus  secretion,  often  streaked 
wdth  blood,  escapes  from  the  vagina,  and  there  is  fre- 
quently irritability  of  the  bladder.  The  pains  of 'labor, 
whether  distinguished  as  grinding,  or  as  forcing,  need  not 
to  be  described,  or  the  management  of  the  after-burden 
or  birth,  as  this  becomes  the  duties  of  the  attendants. 
During  the  labor,  nothing  heating,  either  in  food  or 
drink,  should  be  given,  all  pretensions  to  their  strength- 
ening the  patient  notwithstanding.     All  these  things  tend 

(295) 


206  DISEASES   OF  WOMEN. 

to  inflammation  at  the  time,  and  produce  fevers  after- 
ward. 

It  is  of  importance  to  say  that  above  all  things  after 
delivery,  the  most  needful  is  quietude.  The  patient  her- 
self should  aim  to  check  any  excitement  of  joyous  feel- 
ings, and  the  curious  women  who  always  wish  to  crowd 
around  the  bed  should  be  sent  away  into  the  next  street. 
The  food  and  drink  must  be  regulated  by  the  circum- 
stances of  each  case.  Gruel,  panada,  and  a  little  weak 
tea,  are  generally  best ;  but  cases  sometimes  occur  when 
a  little  chicken  and  a  glass  of  wine  are  necessary  to  sus- 
tain life. 

Hemorrhage,  or  excessive  flooding,  will  sometimes  unex- 
pectedly take  place  after  the  medical  attendant  has  retired. 
In  such  cases,  let  the  patient  be  laid  with  her  head  low, 
and  kept  very  cool ;  apply  linen  cloths  wrung  out  of 
equal  parts  of  vinegar  and  water,  or  port  wine,  to  the 
abdomen,  the  loins  and  the  thighs,  changing  them  as 
they  become  dry.  A  preparation  may  also  be  made  of 
two  ounces  each  of  pennyroyal  water,  simple  cinnamon 
water,  and  syrup  of  poppies ;  mix  them  with  a  drachm 
of  elixir  of  vitriol,  and  take  two  table-spoonsful  every 
two  hours,  or  oftener  if  necessary. 

If  violent  pains  come  on  after  delivery,  take  a  little 
red  pepper  and  spirits,  simmer  them  together  for  a  few 
minutes,  and  foment  the  abdomen;  if  this  fail,  apply  a 
fomentation  of  bitter  herbs,  and  give  two  tea- spoonsful 


DISEASES   OF  WOMEN.  297 

of  the  tincture  of  hops  in  milk  or  tea.  If  costivenesa 
prevails,  give  an  ounce  of  castor  oil,  or  a  little  senna  and 
manna;  and  if  fever  comes  on,  send  at  once  for  the 
physician,  who  is  the  most  proper  person  to  prescribe  in 
the  case. 

It  is  important  that  the  mother,  as  soon  as  possible, 
should  give  her  young  child  the  food  which  the  God 
of  Nature  has  provided  for  it.  This  is  necessary  for  her 
own  sake,  and  still  more  for  that  of  the  infant.  Its  sto- 
mach and  bowels  are  filled  with  a  blackish  matter,  called 
the  meconium.  This  is  generally  passed  soon  after  the 
birth,  by  the  mere  effort  of  nature,  especially  when  it  is 
permitted  to  take  the  mother's  milk  as  soon  as  it  shows 
an  inclination  to  do  so.  This  milk  at  first  is  of  a  pur- 
gative character,  and  so  accomplishes  the  desired  object. 
But  if  on  any  account  this  natural  demand  of  the  child 
be  withheld,  and  the  offensive  matter  is  not  yet  removed, 
a  careful  nurse  will  administer  a  little  magnesia,  or 
manna;  or  what  may  be  quite  as  well,  a  spoonful  of 
Common  whey,  sweetened  with  a  little  honey  or  sugar, 
will  answer  the  purpose. 

Nor  is  it  lesa  important  that  the  nurse  does  not  neg- 
lect the  galling  and  excoriation  so  frequently  found  about 
the  groin  and  neck  of  young  children.  They  are  gener- 
ally the  result  of  the  want  of  cleanliness,  and  should  be 
guarded  against  by  washing  the  parts  with  slightly 
warm  water,   and   keeping  the  child  entirely  clean  by 


298  DISEASES  OF  WOMEN. 

frequently  changing  its  linen.  When  the  disease  has 
prevailed  over  all  this,  the  excoriated  parts  should  be 
sprinkled  over  with  a  powder  of  burnt  chalk  or  crab's 
claws ;  and  if  the  parts  affected  become  very  sore,  tend- 
ing to  ulceration,  it  will  be  proper  to  add  a  little  sugar 
of  lead  to  the  powder ;  or  we  would  prefer  to  anoint  the 
parts  with  camphorated  ointment,  which  may  be  easily 
made  by  taking  half  a  pint  of  olive  oil,  an  ounce 
and  a  half  each  of  white  wax  and  spermaceti,  and  one 
drachm  of  camphor  previously  rubbed  with  a  little  of 
the  oil ;  melt  them  with  a  gentle  heat,  and  stir  them  con- 
stantly and  briskly  till  quite  cold,  and  the  ointment  is 
then  fit  for  use.  It  is  very  useful  in  cases  where  there 
is  great  heat  and  tendency  to  inflammation. 

Another  matter  will  demand  the  attention  of  the 
nurse.  The  nostrils  of  new-born  infants  are  often  filled 
with  mucus,  which  prevents  their  breathing  freely,  and 
makes  both  sucking  and  swallowing  difficult.  The  best 
thing  usually  is  to  rub  the  nose  at  bed-time  with  a  little 
sweet  oil  or  fresh  butter,  or  evena  common  tallow  can- 
dle. If  the  case  be  very  obstinate,  AYedellus  says,  that 
if  two  grains  of  white  vitriol,  and  the  same  quantity  of 
elaterium  be  dissolved  in  half  an  ounce  of  marjoram 
water,  and  applied  to  the  nose  with  a  linen  rag,  it  will 
bring  away  the  mucus  without  sneezing. 

It  sometimes  happens  that  the  breasts  of  a  new-bora 
infant   are   hard  with    the  moisture  in  them.     In  such 


DISEASES   OF  WOMEN.  299 

eases,  a  soft  bread-poultice  should  be  laid  on  them,  and 
frequently  renewed,  till  the  hardness  disappears. 

The  effects  we  every  day  see  which  have  followed  the 
neglect  of  the  past,  should  make  mothers  and  nurses  the 
more  cautious  to  guard  against  the  evils  of  the  present. 
Let  then  the  young  mother  take  care  that  the  nurse 
brings  under  the  attention  of  the  physician  a  proper 
attention  as  to  the  adhesion  of  the  labium  pudendi  of  the 
child.  This  misfortune,  easily  guarded  against  at  the 
time,  is  more  common  than  may  be  supposed ;  and  many 
a  lovely  girl,  as  she  advanced  to  womanhood,  has  had  to 
suffer  the  pain  and  mortification  of  a  surgical  operation, 
which  might  have  been  easily  avoided  by  her  mother  or 
nurse  in  infancy. 

The  discharge  from  the  vagina  of  irfants  is  a  subject 
which  demands  the  attention  of  the  mother  from  infancy 
and  for  some  years  onward.  Neglect  of  this  matter 
has  deprived  many  a  fair  girl  of  her  rosy  cheeks,  and  in 
the  end  led  her  to  the  grave.  A  physician,  or  what  is 
sometimes  better,  an  intelligent  and  experienced  nurse, 
should  be  consulted  on  this  matter.  Prevention  here  is 
far  better  than  cure ;  and  medicine,  if  necessary,  should 
be  prescribed  only  by  those  who  best  understand  the 
matter. 

A  rupture,  which  is  a  protrusion  of  the  bowels  beneath 
the  skin  at  the  navel  in  the  groins,  or  into  the  scrotum  of 
males,  forming  an  external  tumor  in  these  parts,  sometimes 


300  DISEASES   OF   WOMEN. 

exists  at  birth  or  occurs  soon  after.  It  should  never  be 
neglected,  as  in  early  life  a  careful  physician  can  direct 
measures  which  may  save  from  suffering  and  danger  for 
many  long  years. 

It  should  not  be  forgotten  by  the  nursing  mother  that 
the  effects  which  the  medicines  taken  by  her  will  pro- 
duce in  the  infant  she  suckles,  impart  a  credibility  to 
the  doctrines  of  Hahneman,  and  of  those  who  believe  in 
the  efficacy  of  infinitesimal  doses.  A  minute  and 
scarcely  nauseating  quantity  of  tartar  emetic  taken  by 
the  mother,  will  produce  frequent  vomiting  in  the  suck- 
ling; senna  tea  will  gripe  it;  and  the  dose  of  iodine, 
which,  from  its  slow  and  gentle  action,  the  mother  will 
declare  to  be  inoperative  upon  herself,  will,  by  trans- 
mission in  her  milk,  excite  in  her  infant  the  symptoms 
of  severe  influenza. 

Should  there  be  inflammation  in  the  breasts  of  the 
mother,  attended  with  redness,  hardness,  and  other 
symptoms  of  suppuration,  apply  a  poultice  of  bread  and 
milk,  softened  with  sweet  oil  or  butter,  and  renew  it 
twice  a  day  till  the  tumor  be  dispersed  or  brought  to 
suppuration.  Be  sure,  in  this  case,  to  avoid  whatever 
may  tend  to  check  its  progress,  as  all  repellants  are  dan- 
gerous. If  the  nipples  become  sore,  apply  a  little  pow- 
dered gum  arable  to  them,  or  anoint  them  with  a  mix- 
ture of  sweet  oil  and  beeswax.  In  this  case,  a  little 
aperient  medicine  should  be  given. 


DISEASES   OF  WOMEN.  301 

As  soon  as  the  strength  of  the  mother  is  sufficiently 
recruited,  and  the  state  of  the  weather  will  allow,  she 
should  take  frequent  gentle  exercise  in  the  open  air. 
Prudence  in  this  case  is  unspeakably  important:  but  too 
long  confinement  to  her  room  is  as  injurious  to  the  mo 
ther  as  too  hastily  leaving  it. 


HINTS   ON   WEANING. 

A  few  hints  on  the  subject  of  weaning  a  child  may  be 
of  importance  to  not  a  few  mothers  who  honor  our 
volume  with  a  perusal.  The  period  of  doing  this  is  of 
great  importance  to  the  health  of  both  mother  and  child, 
and  whatever  tends  to  its  being  well  done,  should  there- 
fore be  made  known. 

The  time  of  this  separation  of  the  child  from  its 
first  natural  food,  should  be  properly  chosen.  The 
principal  indications  of  its  being  right,  are  the  failure 
of  the  mother's  health,  want  of  a  proper  quantity  of 
milk,  or  a  great  decline  as  to  its  quality ;  the  fact  of  the 
mother  being  again  pregnant,  or  the  circumstance  of  the 
child  having  teeth  by  which  to  masticate  food.  More- 
over, a  time  should  be  selected  for  weaning  when  the 
child  is  in  tolerable  health ;  and  if  possible,  the  process 
26 


802  DISEASES   OF   WOMEN. 

should  commence  in  the  more  temperate  months  of  the 
year,  as  April,  May,  October,  or  November. 

Of  course  the  mother  has,  long  before  the  time  of 
weaning,  gradually  given  the  child  the  habit  of  taking 
more  solid  food,  and  has  ascertained  what  is  most  ap- 
propriate to  its  health  and  tastes :  and  while  weaning  it, 
will  firmly  adhere  to  her  purpose,  having  food  prepared 
for  it  whenever  it  may  need  it.  Let  her  then  place  on 
her  nipples  a  solution  of  aloes,  soot  tea,  or  any  other 
bitter  substance ;  this  will  excite  disgust  in  the  child, 
which  may  also  be  done  by  a  piece  of  court  plaster  put 
upon  it,  or  the  bosom  being  filled  with  wool  or  cotton, 
or  any  thing  else  to  which  the  child  has  a  dislike. 
In  this  manner  the  food  will  soon  be  preferred  to  the 
breast. 

Of  course,  while  this  is  going  on,  the  mother  will  not 
neglect  herself.  If  she  has  much  milk,  her  breasts 
should  be  carefully  drawn  once  or  twice  a  day,  for  a  few 
days;  she  should  almost  entirely  live  on  dry  food,  and 
anoint  her  breasts  with  the  spirits  of  camphor,  or  with 
a  liniment  composed  of  equal  parts  of  the  spirits  of  cam- 
phor, laudanum,  and  sweet  oil.  She  should  carefully 
keep  her  bowels  moderately  open  by  doses  of  castor  oil, 
and  avoid  all  fatigue. 


BAREENNESS. 

(T^i  UCH  anxiety  and  grief  has  been  felt  by 
thousands  of  husbands  and 
wives  on  a  topic  upon  which 
we  must  be  allowed  to  say  a 
few  words  before  entirely  leav- 
ing subjects  connected  with  child-bearing — we  mean 
sterility,  or  inability  to  have  children.  In  all  ages  and 
countries  this  has  been  a  source  of  unhappiness ;  though 
we  almost  fear  that  modern  fashions  are  aiming  to  frus- 
trate the  very  laws  of  nature ;  as  in  thousands  of  cases  we 
have  heard  of  attempts  to  prevent  conception,  or  to 
produce  abortion ;  and  not  a  few  instances  have  occurred 
where  children  have  been  led  to  death  by  neglect. 

Barrenness  may  be  placed  among  diseases,  as  ^onj 
few  women,  married  in  the  younger  or  the  middle  stages 
of  life,  who  have  not  children,  enjoy  a  good  state  of  gen- 
eral health ;  while  statistical  records,  both  in  this  country 
and  in  Europe,  show  that  the  married,  who  bear  chil- 
dren, live  longer  than  any  other  class  of  women.  The 
causes  of  the  complaint  of  which  we  are  now  writing 
are  said  to  be  various,  such  as  obesity,  high  living,  and 
indolence.     These  lead  to  obstruction  or  irregularity  of 

(303) 


30  i  DISEASES   OF  WOMEN'. 

the  menses.  It  is  certain  that  barrenness  exists  among 
the  affluent  to  a  far  greater  extent  than  among  the  poor ; 
hence  the  inhabitants  of  every  country  are  prolific  in 
proportion  to  their  poverty. 

We  make  no  pretensions  to  the  possession  of  any  in- 
fallible elixir  for  this  disease ;  but  we  are  assured  that 
if  the  rich  could  be  persuaded  to  adopt  the  plain  food, 
the  simple  habits,  and  the  regular  exercise  of  the  poor, 
very  few  of  them  would  die  childless.  In  the  absence, 
however,  of  all  quackery,  and  hoping  the  reader  will 
turn  a  deaf  ear  to  all  private  suggestions  and  all  public 
advertisements  on  this  head,  we  recommend  those 
afflicted  in  this  way  to  take  plenty  of  exercise  early  in 
the  morning  in  the  open  air,  to  live  chiefly  on  a  vege- 
table and  milk  diet,  to  total  abstinence  from  intoxicating 
drinks,  careful  attention  to  the  state  of  the  bowels,  a 
cautious  use  of  astringents,  such  as  alum,  elixir  of  vit- 
riol, the  preparation  of  steel,  and  Peruvian  bark,  and, 
above  all,  to  the  practice  of  sea  or  cold  bathing.  By  a 
persevering  use  of  these  means,  by  freedom  from  strong 
excitements  and  anxiety,  by  the  constant  indulgence  of 
cheerfulness,  and  by  a  short  visit  to  a  distant  country, 
we  have  known  many  husbands  and  wives  made  happy 
with  children  who  had  long  feared  they  should  die  with- 
out them. 


MISCELLANEOUS   MATTERS. 

E  are  disposed,  before  putting  a  final  pe- 
riod to  our  volume,  to  convey  a  few  para- 
graphs to  our  fair  read- 
^^  ers,  interesting  we  hope, 
and  in  some  degree  valu- 
able to  them,  but  less  sombre  in  their  character  than 
much  we  have  already  said.  Life  is  made  up,  to  a  great 
degree,  of  smaller  matters;  and  very  many  of  the  dis- 
eases which  trouble  us  are  of  no  very  great  importance, 
but  still  we  wish  to  get  rid  of  them  if  we  can. 

One  of  these  is  sea-sickness.  Every  year  increases  the 
number  of  our  ladies  who  visit  Europe  or  elsewbere,  by 
sea;  and  all  who  do  so  see  multitudes  of  their  fellow- 
voyagers,  especially  among  the  ladies,  suffer  a  most  un- 
pleasant degree  of  giddiness,  arising  from  the  motion  of 
tlie  vessel,  to  which  they  have  not  been  accustomed. 
This  suffering  lasts  for  an  uncertain  duration ;  it  is  at- 
tended with  nausea,  vomiting,  and  great  depression  of 
spirits.  But  let  not  the  patient  despair;  no  one  ever 
died  from  this  disease;  keep  up  your  spirits  and  be 
cheerful ;  do  not  go  to  your  berth,  but  romp  about  the 
deck  of  the  vessel ;  crack  jokes  and  sing  merry  ditties; 
26*  T  (305) 


806  DISEASES    OF   WOMEN. 

take  a  little  aperient  medicine,  and  swallow  a  tea-spoon- 
ful of  etlier  in  a  glass  of  water.  Take  whatever  food 
you  can,  tbe  more  highly  seasoned  the  better,  and  drink 
lemonade,  or,  if  you  prefer  it,  a  little  weak  brandy  and 
water ;  and  above  all,  live  on  hope,  and  rely  on  it  that 
you  will  soon  be  better. 

Not  a  few  of  our  delicate  young  ladies,  thoughtlessly 
walking  out  in  hot  weather,  get  sun-burnt  For  such  a 
"  misfortune,"  we  give  them  a  strongly-recommended 
remedy.  Take  two  drachms  of  borax,  one  drachm  of 
Roman  alum,  one  drachm  of  camphor,  half  an  ounce  of 
sugar  candy,  and  a  pound  of  ox-gall.  Mix  and  stir  well 
for  ten  minutes  or  so,  and  repeat  this,  stirring  three  or 
four  times  a  day  for  a  fortnight,  till  it  appears  clear  and 
transparent.  Strain  through  blotting  paper,  and  bottle 
it  up  for  use. 

A  good  head  of  hair  has  its  influence  on  health  as 
well  as  on  beauty  ;  but  neglect  will  often  bring  disease  in 
the  roots  of  the  hair,  and  cause  it  to  fall  oif.  An  infusion 
of  tea,  when  not  too  strong,  is  very  useful  in  preventing 
the  hair  falling  off.  The  best  plan  is  to  pour  boiling 
water  on  to  the  leaves  after  they  have  been  used  for  a 
meal.  In  ten  or  twelve  hours  it  may  be  drawn  off,  and 
placed  in  a  bottle  for  use  as  required.  A  table-spoonful 
of  any  porfiimed  spirits  may  be  added  to  every  half  pint 


DISEASES   OF   WOMEN.  307 

of  the  wash.  It  should  be  applied  to  the  head  with  a 
piece  of  sponge  or  a  very  soft  brush.  A  little  glycerine 
mixed  with  it  answers  the  purpose  of  oil ;  its  offensive 
smell  is  corrected  by  the  perfumed  spirits. 

We  have  before  us  a  prescription  of  another  wash  for 
the  hair,  which  has  been  strongly  recommended,  and  it 
may  be  tried  if  the  first  fails.  Take  two  ounces  each  of 
rosemary,  maidenhair,  southern-wood,  myrtle  berries, 
and  hazel  bark,  and  burn  them  to  ashes  on  a  clean 
hearth,  or  in  an  oven.  With  these  ashes  make  a  strong 
ley,  with  which  wash  the  hair  at  the  roots  every  day, 
and  keep  it  cut  short.  This  wash  is  said  to  destroy  the 
worm  at  the  roots ;  while  bear's  grease  or  pomatum 
will  rather  feed  than  destroy  that  enemy  of  the  hair. 

Not  a  few  of  the  ladies  we  have  known,  have  care- 
lessly fallen  into  the  habit  of  swallowing  pins.  There  is  no 
wisdom  in  this,  though  we  have  seldom  known  any  very 
serious  results  follow.  When  the  accident  happens,  do 
not  be  terrified,  nor  swallow  quantities  of  medicine  to 
compel  the  substance  to  hasten  through  the  bowels, 
but  rather  take  a  raw  egg  beat  up  in  a  little  milk ;  this 
will  coagulate,  and  the  point  being  thus  sheathed,  it  will 
be  deprived  of  its  power  to  do  injury. 

Such  of  our  fair  readers  as  wish  for  freedom  from 
pimples  or  enqitions  on  theface^  will  carefully  guard  them- 
selves from  all  advertised  nostrums  for   that   purpose. 


308  DISEASES   OF   WOMEN. 

Neither  prepared  chalk,  rouge,  nor  any  other  poison 
will  attract  her.  A  sensible  woman  knows  that  artificial 
beauty  cannot  be  admired  ;  and  that  these  much-praised 
cosmetics  poison  and  discolor  the  skin.  If,  unfortu- 
nately, the  habit  of  their  use  has  been  already  formed, 
let  our  readers  henceforth  use  only  an  infusion  of  horse- 
radish, or  the  juice  of  house-leek,  in  milk  or  cream. 
Cleanliness  and  good  health  furnish  the  greatest  beauty. 

We  have  often  been  surprised  that  comparatively  so 
few  deaths  occur  from  drinking  an  excessive  quantity  of 
cold  water  when  overheated.  We  now  and  then  hear  of  a 
case  where,  this  being  done,  the  result  has  been  the 
loss  of  sight,  sometimes  falling  while  walking,  difficulty 
of  breathing,  coldness  in  the  extremities,  rattling  in  the 
throat,  the  loss  of  pulse  and — death.  When  these  symp- 
toms begin  to  appear,  let  laudanum,  in  the  proportion  of 
from  a  tea-spoonful  to  a  table-spoonful,  be  given  with 
the  utmost  promptitude.  Ice  water  is  indeed  a  luxury, 
but,  little  as  it  costs,  it  is  often  an  expensive  one.  Take 
only  a  quarter  of  a  pint  at  a  time — at  intervals  of  five 
or  ten  minutes  between  each  draugrht. 


THE   END. 


THE   FAMILY  DOCTOR, 

AND    WHAT    IS    SAID    OF    IT. 

This  book  is  written  in  a  plain,  easy,  and  familiar  style,  adapted 
expressly  to  family  and  individual  use.  It  advocates  no  particular 
theory  of  medicine,  but  draws  alike  from  the  flowers  of  the  field, 
the  plants  of  the  garden,  or  the  minerals  of  earth,  for  such 
remedies  as  have  proved  the  most  simple,  safe,  and  effectual :  be- 
lieving that  wherever  disease  has  found  a  foothold,  there  the  Giver 
of  all  Good  has,  in  some  form,  mercifully  placed  a  specific.  Neither 
does  it  profess  to  supersede  the  physician,  but  only  to  avoid  the 
necessity  and  expense  of  calling  him  in  except  in  dangerous  cases. 
It  is  in  fact  a  physician  itself,  always  at  hand  and  ready  to  serve 
you.  Its  simple  receipts  may  save  you  many  times  its  cost  in  a 
a  few  months  ;  while  at  some  critical  moment,  when  your  regular 
practitioner  is  not  at  hand,  it  may  preserve  your  own  life  or  that 
of  some  member  of  your  family,  or  others  equally  near  and  dear. 
The  high  degree  of  appreciation  in  which  it  is  held  may  be  gathered 
from  the  notices  annexed. 

"  It  will  be  a  treasure  of  wisdom,  health,  and  economy  to  every 
family  that  shall  purchase  and  use  it." — Philad'a  Family  Magazine. 

"  It  contains  much  that  is  valuable  and  instructive  for  family  pur- 
poses— is  got  up  in  good  style  and  neatly  printed,  and  might  often 
prove  available  and  serviceable." — Am.  Illuminated  Magazine. 

"Avery  excellent  specimen  of  a  very  excellent  class  of  books, 
one  of  which  at  least  ought  to  be  in  every  family.  It  is  free  from 
'medical  terms,'  gives  much  sound,  sensible  advice  as  to  the  preser- 
vation of  health,  and  may  be  commended  as  a  work  which  all  fami- 
lies in  general  will  find  a  use  for,  time  and  again,  during  the 
year." — Philad^a  Evening  Bulletin. 

"  The  reader  will  find  many  excellent  prescriptions  and  sound 
admonitions  in  this  volume." — Godey^s  Lady's  Book. 

(i) 


n  THE    FAMILY    DOCTOR. 

"The  general  directions  in  the  commencement  of  the  volume  re- 
specting the  preservation  of  health,  are  very  judicious  and  valua- 
ble. ' ' — Presbyterian  Banner. 

"A  very  useful  book,  which  can  be  studied  with  advantage."^ 
Philad^a  Ledger. 

"The  descriptions  of  disease  are  clear,  and  not  rendered  difficult 
by  technical  terms.  It  will  be  useful  in  every  family,  and  well  de- 
serves an  extensive  circulation." — Philad'a  Dispatch. 

"The  work  is  eminently  practical  and  beneficial.  It  is  designed 
to  aid  each  mother  in  the  prompt  relief  of  pain.  Its  wholesome  ad- 
vice, if  followed,  will  prevent  much  disease  and  suffering." — Philad'a 
Herald. 

"We  are  much  pleased  with  the  book,  and  cheerfully  recommend 
it  to  the  public  as  a  safe  counselor  for  any  family." — Independent, 
Rogersville,  Tennessee. 

"  It  is  almost  indispensable  in  every  family.  It  treats  on  all 
prevalent  diseases  connected  with  the  human  race,  for  which  cures 
are  given  that  are  within  the  reach  of  every  one." — Maryland,  Car- 
roll County  Herald. 

"  This  is  a  plain  kind  of  doctor,  and  talks  to  us  in  plain  language, 
easily  understood  by  plain  people.  It  contains  many  accurate  des- 
criptions of  diseases  of  children  and  adults,  and  many  excellent 
prescriptions  for  their  cure." — Sabbath  Recorder. 

"An  elegant  and  excellent  work,  designed  for  home  and  family 
use.     Everybody  should  have  it." — Albany,  Missouri,  Courier. 

"As  its  title  indicates,  it  is  a  plain,  easy,  and  familiar  treatise  on 
'  all  the  ills  that  flesh  is  heir  to,'  and  worth  many  times  its  cost  to 
every  family." — Berkshire  Rambler. 

"The  instructions  given  are  plain — in  words  not  to  be  misunder- 
stood by  people  of  limited  education.  It  ought  to  be  in  every 
house. ' ' — Millhrook  Messenger. 

"  A  brief  but  luminous  view  of  the  various  diseases  to  which 
human  flesh  is  subject." — Maumee  Valley  Standard. 

"  The  remedies  are  simple  and  easy  of  access." — Jeffersonian  Dem, 

"Neat,  cheap,  and  reliable." — Coal  City  Item. 

"We  consider  it  a  very  useful  book." — De  Witt  Clintonian. 

"It  is  very  nicely  printed,  illustrated,  and  bound,  and  eminently 
worth  the  price." — Paw  Paw,  Michigan,  Press, 


A  COMPANION  TO  THE  FAMILY  BIBLE. 
THE    LIFE 

OP 

Our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ, 

FROM 

His  Incarnation  to  His  Ascension  into  Heaven. 

By  Rev.  JOHN  FLEETWOOD,  D.D. 

TO  WHICH   ABE  ADDED 

The  Lives  of  the  Holy  Apostles  and  Evangelists,  a  History  of  the 
Jews,  and  an  Essay  on  the  Evidences  of  the  Bible ; 

THE  WHOLE   CAREFULLY  REVISED 

By  Rev.  JOSEPH  BELCHER,  D.D. 

"  The  life  of  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Philosophy  of  true  religion.  It  exhibits  the  principles 
of  Christiauity  in  their  purity  and  beauty.  It  is  perfect  excellence  personified,  that 
the  mind  of  man  may  grasp  it  aud  be  changed  into  the  same  image.  It  is  unlike  all 
others — so  sublime  as  to  excite  the  admiration  of  an  angel's  mind,  and  yet  so  simple 
Is  to  be  intelligible  to  the  feeblest  intellect.  While  it  is  a  perfect  example  to  be  imi- 
tated by  all,  it  also  affords  to  the  sanctified  scholar,  a  lesson  of  untiring  and  unending 
interest.  Does  he  admire  magnanimity  ?  Nowhere  does  he  find  such  a  specimen,  as 
in  tlie  forgiving  spirit  of  Jesus.  Does  he  admire  sublimity  of  thought,  and  grandeur 
of  conception?  He  sees  it  in  the  description  of  Jesus  coming  to  judgment — a  God  in 
glory  and  a  world  on  fire  !  The  inspired  writers  have  given  us  his  life  in  detached 
descriptions.  Dr.  Fleetwood  has  arranged  these  into  one  harmonious  whole,  with 
such  comments,  explanations  and  incidental  information,  as  to  render  it  alilie  accept- 
able to  the  scholar  as  to  '  him  who  liuows  no  more,  but  Isnows  his  Bible  true.'  If  the 
attentive  reader  finds  any  occasion  for  regret,  it  will  only  be  when  the  last  page 
meets  his  eye." 

An  examination  of  the  earlier  English  and  Scotch  editions  of  this  valuable  and 
popular  worli  led  to  a  knowledge  of  the  fact,  that  many  errors  had  crept  into  the 
American  Reprints.  This  edition  has  been  thoroughly  revised  by  the  late  Rev.  Dr. 
Belcher,  and  the  Publisher  now  has  the  pleasure  of  placing  it  before  the  Public  in  its 
Original  Purity  and  Beauty.  It  is  printed  in  a  clear  and  open  type,  in  one  Royal  Oc- 
tavo Volume,  and  is  Illustrated  with  appropriate  Engravings,  printed  in  colors,  or 
with  fine  Steel  Plates,  engraved  expressly  for  the  work,  from  designs  by  the  old 
masters,  and  will  be  furnished  in  various  styles  of  binding  at  prices  ranging  from 
$2.00  to  $5.00. 

For  single  copies  of  the  Book,  or  for  terms  to  Agents,  with  other 
information,  apply  to  or  address, 

JOHN  E.  POTTER,  Publisher, 

No.  617  Sansom  Street,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


A  NEW  AND  VALUABLE  BOOK  FOR  EVERYBODY'S  USE. 


EVERYBODY'S    LAWYER 


Counsellor    in     Business. 

By    FRANK    CROSBY,   Esq., 

MEMBER    OF    THE    PHILADELPHIA    BAR. 

IT  TELLS  TOU — How  to  draw  np  Paktneeship  Papers,  Bojtds  and  MoRTOAOKa, 
Affidavits,  Powers  of  Attobnet,  Notes  and  Bills  of  Exchange,  aud  yives 
general  forms  for  Aorekments  of  all  kinds.  Bills  of  Sale,  Leahes,  Petitio.nij,  Kb- 
ceipts  and  Releases. 

IT  TELLS  TOU— The  Laws  for  the  Collectioit  of  Debts,  with  the  Statutes  of  Limi- 
tation, and  amount  and  kind  of  property  Exbmpt  from  Execution,  in  every  State  ; 
also  how  to  make  an  Assignment  properly,  with  forms  for  Composition  with  Cbedi- 
TORS,  and  the  Insolvent  Laws  of  every  State. 

IT  TELLS  YOU — The  legal  relations  existing  between  Guardian  and  Ward,  Master 
and  Apprentice,  and  Landlord  and  Tenant  ;  also  what  constitutes  Libel  and 
Slander,  and  the  law  as  to  Makeiaqe,  Dower,  the  Wife's  Bight  in  Pbopebtt, 
Divorce  and  Alimony. 

IT  TELLS  YOU — The  Law  for  Mechanics'  Liens  in  every  State ;  and  the  Natttkaliza- 
tion  Laws  of  this  country,  and  how  to  comply  with  the  same ;  also  the  Law  con- 
cerning Pensions,  and  how  to  obtain  one,  and  the  Pre-emption  Laws  to  Public 
Lands. 

IT  TELLS  YOU — The  Law  for  Pate.vts  with  mode  of  procedure  in  obtaining  one, 
with  Interferences,  Assignments,  and  Table  of  Fees  ;  also  how  to  make  yonr 
Will,  aud  how  to  Administer  on  an  Estate,  with  the  law,  and  requirements 
thereof,  in  every  State. 

IT  TELLS  YOU — The  meaning  of  Law  Terms  in  general  use,  and  explains  to  you  the 
Legislative,  Executive  and  Judicial  Powers  of  both  the  General  and  State 
Governme.vts  ;  also  HOW  TO  KEEP  OUT  OF  LAW  by  showing  how  to  do  your 
business  legally,  thus  saving  a  vast  amount  of  property,  and  vexatious  litigation, 
by  its  timely  consultation. 

"  This  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  works  that  has  ever  yet  been  got  out  to  sup- 
ply a  really  great  want  in  every  community.  Every  man  is  constantly  in  want  of 
legal  forms.  He  has  a  house  to  rent,  an  agreement  to  write,  or  he  wants  some  knowl- 
edge about  wills,  road  petitions,  and  a  hundred  other  matters  that  come  before  him 
every  week  of  his  life.  It  is  a  form  book,  and  the  forms  are  not,  as  is  too  frequently 
the  case,  calculated  to  mislead,  but  to  instruct.  Everything  is  full  and  to  the  point. 
There  are  no  blanks  in  forms.  They  are  filled  with  names,  dates,  recitals,  and  are, 
indeed,  actual  instruments  legally  and  actually  drawn.  Now  a  book  of  this  kind  is  a 
household  necessity.  A  few  evenings  since,  a  que.'^ticm  in  regard  to  the  copyright  of 
books  came  up  in  a  knot,  where  we  were  present,  and  a  reference  to  this  work  at  once 
settled  the  point  in  dispute.  The  fact  is,  it  is  as  nearly  perfect  as  possible  ;  aud  we  ven- 
ture to  say,  that  any  one  who  purchases,  would  not  part  with  it  for  five  times  the 
price,  if  it  could  not  be  replaced." — Westchester  Democrat. 

It  contains  3S4  pages,  printed  in  a  clear  and  open  type,  and  will  be  sent  by  mail, 
neatly  bound  and  postage  paid,  to  Evert  Farmer,  Evert  Mechanic,  Every  Man  op 
Business,  and  Evertbodt  in  Every  State,  on  receipt  of  $1.00 ;  or  in  law  style  of 
binding,  at  $1.2.5. 

For  single  copies  of  the  Book,  or  for  terms  to  Agents,  with  other  information,  apply 
to  or  address, 

JOHN  E.  POTTER,  Publisher, 

No.  617  Sansom  Street,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

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